I want to talk about the very foundation of the Word of God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:1-2
Whenever you talk about the Word of God you must start with Christ. Notice that in this verse the Word is a He. God and His Word are one and the same. When the Bible speaks about the Word of God, it’s talking about God’s revelation of Himself.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Christ is the Word made flesh. He was the Word throughout eternity past. He will be the Word for all of the eternity that lies before us. This is the foundation of all we know about the Word of God.
By looking at Christ we see the total embodiment of what the Word of God is and does in our lives. It’s through His life and words that we can truly understand how the Word applies to us.
You would think that because of this truth, there would be no question as to what the Word of God is in our life and walk. I wish that were the case. The fact is that there’s much controversy surrounding exactly what the Word of God is.
Please read my posts carefully, and prayerfully. It’s my hope to cut through some of the problems created by our present use of “Christianese” – the religious language we have grown used to in the church.
This language is not always in line with Scripture. It’s my prayer that you will see a difference between how we describe certain truths and how the Bible describes them. I also pray that when you see this difference, you’ll choose the Biblical definition.
It’s because of our use of this religious language that we get into many arguments. One of these is over what the Word of God is.
There are some who insist that only the King James Version of the Bible is the Word of God. There are others who say that any translation is the Word. Who is right?
Actually, according to Scripture, the above argument is not even asking the right question! Let’s allow Christ, the Living Word, to be the Judge in this situation.
Over the next few posts I hope to clarify some things that are causing tremendous problems in the Body of Christ. I want to see God’s people get back to where we should be in our handling of the Word.
Question: How does Christ continue to reveal Himself as the Living Word of God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christianese, eternal, eternity, God, grace, living word, religious language, revelation, Scripture, truth, word, word made flesh, word of God, word of God who not what
I believe that signs and miracles are a part of the true Gospel. Without them, it’s difficult to impact the unbeliever.
The Apostle Paul refers to this truth throughout his writings.
I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Romans 15:18-19
Paul tells us how he led the Gentiles to obey God by announcing the Gospel and making disciples. Notice, that he accomplished this by what he SAID and DID. It was through the power of signs and miracles. The difference between a sign and a miracle is that a sign is a miracle that confirms what you say about God.
The key issue is that by operating in this way, Paul fully proclaimed the gospel. I believe that just talking about Christ is not the whole Gospel. The Bible is clear that the kingdom of God is “not a matter of talk but of power.” (I Corinthians 4:20)
Last week I asked, what is it about the Gospel that we’re ashamed of ? I used some illustrations. If I won a new car I would call you over to look at it. If I got a promotion at work, I would immediately show you my new business cards. How is that different from the spiritual Good News?
I believe it’s because we have reduced the Gospel to clichés. “Jesus loves you.” “Jesus wants to bless you.” “God loves you and I do too.”
The problem is that there’s no demonstration. It’s not like the new car or the promotion at work because I offer you no proof of what I’m saying.
Based upon Scripture, if there’s no demonstration, then there’s no Gospel. Many are ashamed because all they can do is tell about Jesus. Some can’t even see the proof in their own lives because of the lack of power. It makes many believers feel like charlatans when they share the Good News.
It seems we’ve lost the original Good News. We don’t understand the power of God and we don’t understand the Gospel. The two go hand in hand.
Without the Good News, there’s no need for the demonstration of power. Some American Christians want the power without proclaiming the Good News. The fact is, that without the message of the Gospel there’s no need to demonstrate healing, prosperity, joy, freedom from depression, or anything else the Lord has provided for us through the cross. I’m striving to spur the church on to get hungry to experience the full Gospel.
That’s why Paul could say that he had fully proclaimed the Gospel of Christ. Not only did he tell about Christ, but he also demonstrated the love and power of the Lord.
Question: How can we return to the true Gospel?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: announce, ashamed, ashamed of the gospel, Bible, Christ, confirm, demonstration, good news, gospel, Jesus, make disciples, miracles, place of signs and miracles, power, power of God, power of the spirit, proclaim, revival, Scripture, share, signs, true gospel
Did you know that the Bible speaks about how we should aim our singing? There are two goals we should direct our music toward.
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Psalms 96:1-2
The first should be pretty obvious.
Our music can be directed toward God in the praise of His glory. This is an important part of our relationship with the Lord. Singing His praises transports us into His presence.
I get so upset when believers view the praise and worship time as merely the “warm-up act” for the pastor’s preaching. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we sing praise and thanksgiving to God, we are brought into a deeper spiritual place. We become more open to the move of the Holy Spirit.
Praising God in song is an important part of a spiritual walk.
The second aim of music may surprise some of you.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…
Ephesians 5:19
Our music can be directed toward each other. There are many people (and I used to be one of them) that dislike the use of songs that are not directed toward God. This verse clearly shows the necessity of both types of music.
There are times when we need to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another. Why is that so important?
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16
It’s through music that the Word of Christ can live richly in you. Singing music that’s directed at each other is a form of teaching and admonishing. As we sing, we learn.
This is an incredible truth. When my children were small, they learned all the states and their capitals because they were put to music. How much more important is it to get the Word into our hearts?
Through music, the Word of Christ can enter our lives and stay with us. That’s why I’m so adamant about not singing songs that contain bad doctrine. Too many Christians believe error because they learned it in their music.
We give praise to our God. We teach and admonish each other. Both of these can and should be done through the music of God’s people.
Question: Is there a song that opened up your eyes to a spiritual truth?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: admonishing, aims, believers, Bible, encouraging, God's glory, hymns, move of the Holy Spirit, music directed toward each other, music directed toward God, praise and worship, praise to God, presence of the lord, psalms, relationship with the Lord, singing, spiritual songs, spiritual walk, teaching, two anointings of music, Word of Christ, word of God
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
Genesis 12:4-6
So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
The story of Abram’s life always amazes me. The Word of God was not in written form yet, so he had no Bible. He had nothing written, upon which to base his trust of God. Yet, with open arms, he received the promise of God as the path for his life.
Not only was he convinced of the Lord’s faithfulness himself, but it spilled over. A whole host of others were willing to put their future into the hands of his God based solely upon Abram’s word. Two whole households moved to a new country in response to the call of God.
Is your faith that evident? Are there people that have trusted God based upon your word and the testimony of your life? We need to walk in the things we believe. Our faith needs to be seen and felt by those around us.
We have the written Word of God. We have thousands of years of history to view the faithfulness of God. How can we ever doubt Him?
If you have never made a decision to set the Word of God as the path for your life, today is the day for you. Spend time, today, placing your destiny firmly in the hands of the Lord.
Tags: Abraham, Abram, Bible, calling, Christian witness, destiny, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, promise of God, trust, word of God
Job 38:12-15
“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.”
Sunrise is a very special time of day. It is then that the dark, gray, formless world suddenly bursts with color, shape, and sound. I consider it a privilege to be able to wake up with the dawn. Just to see the blazing colors of the rising sun, to smell the earthy fragrance of the fresh morning dew, and to hear the chatter of the forest creatures as they begin their work in the new day is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else.
This should humble us as human beings. Just to think that this ritual of nature has been repeating itself since creation, and yet we have absolutely no control over it. The rising and the setting of the sun was set by God ages ago and is far outside the realm of our power and authority.
Don’t miss the opportunity to thank God for this new day. Each one is a blessing from Him. It is a gift from His hand, and we never know what it will bring until we walk it out. Start each new day with adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord. In that way you will have established it on a firm foundation. What you do at this critical time will set the direction and atmosphere for the rest of your day. Make good use of each one.
Tags: adoration, Bible, Christian, dawn, devotion, encouragement, glory, God's faithfulness, holy worship, humble, humility, joy, morning, new day, praise, prayer, sunrise, thank God, thanksgiving
Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
This is one of the most important areas of your life. It will either make or break you. It’s always interesting to see what people do with their “down time”. I’m talking about the time during the day that you’re not having to concentrate on what you are doing.
This is the time that you’re getting dressed, driving to work, or doing other things that don’t require a lot of thought. These are times where you have nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company. Using the time wisely can be very challenging.
Of course, with many people, this time is filled by their I-pod, radio, or cell phone. The last thing this society wants is to think too deeply. Like it or not, we need to take the time to think about important issues.
It has become abundantly clear to me through the Word of God and my own experience that what you meditate on during these times will ultimately shape your character. If you are to achieve the maximum benefit from this, then you need to focus on what is spiritual – the Word of God, God’s calling on your life, and songs of praise and worship.
As these thoughts start to fill your mind, a change starts to take place in your heart. You start to be drawn upward to God. This idle time will now become a time of spiritual growth, renewal, and refreshing.
Take the opportunity today to turn off the external “noise”. Begin to steer your thoughts toward the things of the Lord. Discover the power you need for living as you fill your heart with the only thoughts that can bring lasting change to your life.
Tags: Bible, character, Christian, deep thought, destiny, devotion, distractions, down time, driving, encouragement, focus, getting dressed, growth, meditate, meditation, praise, renewal, spiritual, think, thought life
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Most of us like to be helped. When facing a difficult challenge, even a word of encouragement can go a long way.
If you are like most people, then you have relied upon help at one time or another. Scripture teaches us that part of showing gratefulness is taking the blessing you received and passing it on to someone else. It can be anything – a kind word, food, a ride, or a helping hand carrying things. If it is done in obedience to God’s Word, it’s powerful and life changing.
What we need to start realizing is that even though all these good things came through the people around us, God originated them. All the blessings that we receive come from the Lord’s hand. It’s in thankfulness to Him that we are willing to pass a blessing on to someone else.
Look for an opportunity, today, to be a blessing to someone. Do something unexpected. Take the good things you have received from God and pass them on to someone around you. The Lord will see to it that some day, in some way, you will be rewarded for your act of gratefulness to Him.
Tags: Bible, Christian, Christian witness, devotion, encouragement, goodness, gratefulness, help, helpful, obedience, problems, testimony, thankfulness, unexpected kindness
Isaiah 2:2-3
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
When the temple was established in Jerusalem, no gentile could ever enter it, no matter how devout they were. Temple worship was the exclusive right of the nation of Israel.
Things are different now. Because of what Christ has done, all nations may now enter the invisible, holy temple of God. We can now climb the heights to His very presence. What was formerly impossible is now accessible by grace.
It is now possible to sit at the feet of the Lord and allow Him to teach you His ways. Even when the temple was open to Israel, only the priests had that privilege. Now, because of the cross, we can all experience the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Make that climb today, to the top, to the mountain of God’s temple. Approach the majestic presence of the Creator of all things. Worship at His feet, for He is worthy to receive it. Wait on Him, for His Spirit to move upon your heart. Lives are forever changed up on that mountain. Let yours be one of them.
Tags: accessible, Bible, calling, changed lives, Christ, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's temple, higher, holy, Holy Spirit, holy temple, holy worship, intimacy, invisible, Jesus Christ, mountain, power, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, temple, victory
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
In this passage, the Word of God is compared to a double-edged sword. The Word of God is sharp enough to cut through all your barriers to get to the real you. It knows where you live. It will find you and you cannot hide from it. People try to run from the Word, but it catches up with them.
Once the Word of God is sown into your heart it’s inescapable. As we walk through our everyday lives, we find that the world is alive with testimonies to God’s truth. The Word of God opens your eyes to them all around you. The Holy Spirit can speak sermons to you throughout the day.
Once activated in a person’s life, the Word cannot be stopped. It will achieve that for which God empowered it. Just think of the effect it will have if we yield to its power. If I line my ways up with God’s ways, I will see a greater degree of transformation taking place in a shorter time.
Don’t fight it. Let the Word of the Lord do its work in your life. Don’t go a day without prayerfully reading a portion of Scripture. After you’ve done that, then meditate on it throughout the day. It is life-changing. Apply it to your life, and see the difference it will make.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, encouragement, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, meditate, meditation, power, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, Scripture, strength, sword, testimony, transformation, trust, victory, word, word of God
I want to talk about the very foundation of the Word of God.
The Spirit and the Word 