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Tag Archives: body of Christ

It’s All About Me – Or Is It?

06 Jul

DifferentI’ve taken a few posts to talk about our fellowship. It’s more than we think it is in the modern church.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4

This verse talks about all that God has made available to us. Did you ever stop to think about this? Why has the Lord given us all of these great gifts?

“He loves me. He wants to bless me. He’s given me these promises.” ME, ME, ME!

That’s not the way it is. It’s not all about me. Listen to how this is written.

His divine power has given US everything WE need…through OUR knowledge of him who called US…he has given US his…promises, so that YOU (this is in the plural form) may participate in the divine nature…

This is about us as a body. When Peter says that we may participate in the divine nature; it literally says that we are fellowshippers in the divine nature.

What is the divine nature? It’s God’s way of doing things. Growth by germination. Planting, sprouting, growing, and bearing fruit. This can’t happen if I try to do it all on my own. I need the body of Christ. Only then can I escape the ruin that’s happening in the world.

God wants us to walk in a new nature. This only happens when I connect where God wants me in His Body. Only then will I experience the best He has for me.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11

The real question is; do we want to walk in the resurrection power of Christ? If so, there’s only one path to get there. I have to participate, fellowship, in sharing His suffering. This is the death process that my old man must go through.

It literally says that I have to take on the same form as His death. It doesn’t sound pleasant or convenient, but the result is worth it. The way Paul puts it, he wants to somehow – any way and at any cost – arrive at the resurrection power of the Lord.

But what will it take to accomplish this? Do you think that there’s any way to identify with Christ while ignoring His body on earth? Absolutely not! Fitting into the body of Christ plays a big role in conforming us to the image of Jesus.

Please realize that the suffering he’s talking about is not physical pain. It’s an internal discomfort to the flesh – our old sin nature. That’s why we need the church.

The growth doesn’t happen when the world revolves around me. But in the local church I need to think of the needs of others. I have to learn, by the Spirit, to be in unity with some people who are not like me. They might not think like me. There might even be some that I don’t like or, God forbid, that don’t like me.

It’s in the church that we grow together. We see things in us that need the work of the Holy Spirit to perfect. We learn about the grace of God operating in us. We find our giftings and callings.

Don’t take a light view of the fellowship we share. Without it we’ll never reach our greatest potential.

Question: How has fellowship with others changed your life for the better?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on July 6, 2015 in Fellowship, Ministry, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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It’s My Private Business

03 Jul

DoorI’m posting about the fellowship we share as believers. In my last article I asked if we saw ourselves as a part of something much bigger than ourselves. This is an important issue.

In dealing with the problem of idolatry in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul made an important statement.

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
1 Corinthians 10:15-17

The first part of our fellowship that we need to understand is our fellowship with Christ. The words translated participation in this verse, are the same that are translated fellowship in the verses I looked at last time. We have a fellowship in the body and blood of the Lord.

In the celebration of the Lord’s Supper we’re showing a visible representation of our fellowship. It’s because of our connection to Christ that we are connected with each other. We all have a share in His body and in His blood.

It’s this concept of participation that should guide some of our actions. There are some who would say that it doesn’t matter what I do outside of the church. What I do in my private time is my own business. But is it?

Remember, it’s all about participation. Am I participating with the world in things I shouldn’t be involved in? That’s the issue Paul’s dealing with here.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
1 Corinthians 10:21

Those are strong words. In context he’s talking about idolatry in a pagan temple. But this could apply to us as well. There are many things in society that could be seen as modern idolatry. Gaming, the internet, the entertainment industry, and a whole host of other things can steal our devotion.

Actually, anything that we participate in that causes us to reject time with Christ is idolatry. No, I don’t think we should be worshipping 24/7. But only serving God two hours a week on Sunday morning is a symptom of a spiritual sickness.

Paul tells us the bottom line.

“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Even things that are permissible, with no evil aspects, can be detrimental to your Christian walk. The fact is, being a Christian is not all about me. I’m a part of something bigger than myself. The fellowship I share is on a spiritual level. The things I do in the natural can have a spiritual effect.

This is key to understanding the fellowship we share. What I do as an individual affects the whole. That’s life in a body. When I stub my toe, my whole body is affected. This is a lesson the current generation of believers needs to learn.

Question: How does a person’s private life affect the whole church?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on July 3, 2015 in Fellowship, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Body Agreement

13 Feb

 

meLyRzsWe are not called to live solitary lives. In Christ we’re part of a body. We need each other. Without the local church, we can never reach our greatest potential.

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
1 Corinthians 1:9-10

I think it’s beyond question that our God is faithful. What He’s looking for, is faithful people. The Lord wants to see believers who walk wholeheartedly with Him. How is that possible, unless we walk faithfully with each other?

This will require us to walk in agreement. Agreement is a place of power in the Holy Spirit. In the above verse the word agree means to speak the same thing. The only way that will happen is if we’re all speaking the Word of God.

It takes time in the Word to bring about agreement. It’s not about me convincing you that I’m right. It’s when we both come into agreement that God’s way is right.

The Lord wants us to unite in mind and thought – with no divisions. The simple truth is that this will never happen if we all do our own things. There has to be a coming together for fellowship around the Word of God. That’s what church is all about, or at least it should be. The Word should be central to everything we say and do.

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:26

This means that we regularly meet together as the church. But to do that correctly, I have to come prepared. The church is not a place I come to with all my baggage and expect “them” to bless “me”. I need to arrive prayed up, built up, and ready to be a blessing to someone else. Of course, in the process I end up being blessed as well.

That’s what church is all about. Everyone coming with Christ as our focus. If we expect Him to be present and the Holy Spirit to direct the service, then we can be certain that we’ll grow together in unity. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow in the Lord and in fellowship with one another. Make sure you’re an active member of the body of Christ.

Question: What do you do to build up your local church?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2015 in Ministry, The Church

 

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The Helmet and the Sword

19 Jan

HelmetI believe that it’s time for the church to take its stand against the unseen forces of evil in our land. For too long we’ve sat back and allowed the enemy to take more and more ground. I’m not talking about arguing or protesting in the physical realm, but a return to spiritual warfare.

Unfortunately, very few in the body of Christ understand the true meaning of this phrase. Many only think about the weird excesses that bring ridicule to the church and produce no lasting effect.

I want to take a few posts to talk about one aspect of this issue.

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

This is an incredible passage. But we miss out on the truth sometimes because we don’t realize that this is all one sentence. The following is how the sentence is laid out in the original language.

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the rhema of God, through the channel of all prayer and petition, praying in all times in the spirit and attending to this with all persistency and petition around all the saints.”

In this series I want to focus on taking the helmet and the sword. In our preaching and teaching we usually separate them. The more I read and meditate upon this verse, the more I understand that they’re linked together.

I think one of the problems in our teaching these days is compartmentalizing. What I mean by that is because of the length of most sermons, we can’t show the relationship between spiritual concepts. Each one – the sword, helmet, etc. – is given its own little “bubble” of teaching. What we need to see is how they all work together.

Take the helmet, for example. It was not only used for protection. It’s the most prominent piece of armor. In the Roman army the top of the helmet was decorated with many materials and colors. In this way the helmet displayed not only the rank of the wearer, but what division he was in.

You could see it above the battle. Because of this, the general, usually watching from a hilltop, could see where all his men were. The helmet was a sign of whose authority they were under.

According to the above verse, the helmet and sword go together. All of the other pieces of armor are picked up separately, but not the sword and helmet.

This is because the helmet and sword are the believer’s authority and power. It’s just like the badge and the gun for police. They both go together. The badge shows his or her authority to act and the gun gives them the power to act.

Authority and power go together. One without the other is useless. The modern church needs to learn this. Authority, by itself only produces frustration. Power, alone, causes big problems. You must operate in both together in order to fulfill God’s plan for your life.

Question: How do power and authority complement each other in the life of a believer?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 19, 2015 in Revival, Spiritual Warfare, The Church

 

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How Will the World See Jesus?

26 Sep

JesusJesus called us to be the light of the world. We are to bring people to the knowledge of Christ. How does this happen? There’s a picture of this in the book of Revelation.

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
Revelation 1:12-13

Through this passage we can gain great insight into the function of a church. This is the point where John begins to see his vision. The first thing that happens is that he hears the voice of the Lord.

Where’s it coming from? He turns around to locate the source and the initial objects of his attention are the golden lampstands. Verse 20 tells us that the lampstands are the churches. So the first thing John sees is the church lighting up the area.

Then, as the view comes into focus, he starts to see the Lord Jesus Christ walking among the churches. We must always remember that when the world hears the voice of the Lord calling them, the first view they’ll get is of the church. It’s only through the light of God’s people that the world will see Christ.

It’s sad today that, in the United States, the church has become the object of such disrespect. The worst part of it is that most of this was brought on by ourselves.

Our pride, arrogance, and foolishness have caused the world to write us off as worthless. Many godless people today feel that if there are any answers to the problems of life, they won’t be found in a church.

Is the picture in Revelation a representation of your church? Can people hear the voice of the Lord there? When they turn to look, do they see Jesus Christ in all His glory?

We are the body of Christ on earth. It’s ultimately through us that the voice of God is heard. How well are we communicating the message?

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20

The presence of the Lord is an incredible thing, and must not be taken lightly in our churches. Jesus walks among us – He is present in all that we do. This knowledge should motivate us to come together in unity of spirit.

The original Greek of the above verse reads that where two or more come together in My name, there I am in the middle of them. The Lord is not just off to the side watching as a spectator does. He stands between us. He wants to be at the center of all that we do.

Walking in unity assumes that there’s more than one person in the mix. We must come into agreement – for that’s the place of power in God. I can’t do it alone.

God has ordained that there’s a special manifestation of His presence when we come together as “the Church.” It must not be ignored or taken lightly. I need to be a part of a local body of believers. I need to be in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

That’s how the world will see Christ in us.

Question: How do we show more of the light of Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2014 in Revival, The Church, The Gospel

 

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Time and Tithe…

13 Jun

Time MoneyI’m continuing my discussion about time, and our use of it in the body of Christ. I’m convinced that there’s something that we’ve lost sight of that’s making many believers ineffective. The longer we ignore it, the greater the problem will become.

It all has to do with the principle of tithing. Please don’t turn me off! I know that over the past 20 years, many great teachers have educated the church on the proper use of the tithe. I’m not going to reteach it here. I just want to remind you of some things as a foundation for what I actually want to show you.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
NIV

We have been taught that the tithe is the first 10% of our increase. If we are faithful to worship God with this first part, then He will bless the other 90%. I can testify that this principle works.

In the arena of tithes and offerings, if we do our part, then God will throw open the windows of heaven. The only other place in Scripture where the windows of heaven were said to be opened, was during the flood of Noah.

At that time water poured out that the world did not have room enough for. Tithing then, opens up a window into our finances through which God can pour out His blessings into us. That’s the foundational principle that I want you to see.

There’s another term in the Bible that we need to get a handle on. It’s called Sabbath. It’s the principle of finding our rest in God’s presence.

In talking about this truth, the writer of the book of Hebrews states…

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
Hebrews 4:1

Under the Old Covenant, the people were told to set aside one day a week for God’s purposes in them. They were to set this day apart as holy to the Lord (Exodus 20:8).

Think about it. There’s seven days in a week – one was to be set apart. There are 24 hours in a day. Seven days, times 24 hours gives us 168 hours in the week.

Ten percent of those hours is about 17 hours. 17 hours was approximately how long a person was awake during the Sabbath. Do you see it? The Sabbath is the tithe of our time.

Please understand that I’m not trying to put you back under the law. But the realization that God freed up the schedules of the Israelites for worship should speak to us. Are we giving God time during the week? How much are we freeing up for His purposes in our lives?

I’m always hearing people say, “There aren’t enough hours in a day. I don’t have enough time to do everything I need to do.” It sounds like the same things they say about their money, when they don’t tithe.

Questions: How many hours a week do you spend in God’s presence? Is it a tithe of your time?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on June 13, 2014 in Power of God, Prayer, Revival

 

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Quartermaster Ministries News July 2013 #revivalnow

02 Jul

It’s a new day!  God is doing new things with me!

This is the first of monthly newsletters that I’m starting today.  My goal is that it will come out the beginning of each month, on a Tuesday or Thursday.

This is to update everyone on what’s happening in the ministry.  I expect new things to be taking place on a regular basis.

First off…

I have joined the Twitter community!

You can follow me @RevNickZacc.  Hopefully, it will encourage you with short thoughts throughout the day.  Sometimes I’ll retweet things that are encouraging me.  Also, you’ll find that I’m starting to use # in my titles, since they’ll be posted on Twitter as they are released. (They are also posted to Facebook and LinkedIn)

Speaking at Churches

I feel the Holy Spirit pushing me to get out and do more speaking (outside my home church).  I feel a need for the body of Christ to be prepared for the coming revival.  The Lord has blessed me with insight into how we should be getting ready and what to be ready for.  Because of this I have a spiritual pressure in me, that won’t let me keep it to myself.  So as these opportunities open up, I’ll start posting my schedule as to when and where these events will be.

Prayer

As a result of all of this…I ask you to pray.  Pray with me for revival to rock the church in the USA.  Pray for the lost to hear the clear message of hope in Jesus Christ.  Pray for me to faithfully follow the course God has for me.  I’ll pray for you, the followers of this ministry, that you would experience the highest and best God has for you in Christ.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on July 2, 2013 in Newsletters

 

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The Self-Watering Word of God

24 Jun

rainIn my last post I made a statement about the Word of God planted in us.  I first made the point that we’re powerless to make the seed grow. I then said that the only help we can give it, is in the watering process.

How do we water the seed of the Word of God?  That’s what this post is about.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11

Now that’s an interesting concept.  Not only is the Word seed, it’s also the water.  The first time you receive God’s Word concerning a certain matter, be it salvation or healing, it’s the seed being planted in your life.

After that, you can still hear the Word of God in those areas.  However, it’s now the water to bring the plant to maturity.  That is why it’s so important for me to receive God’s Word in all of its forms.  I need both the initial seed and the water for growth.

As a pastor, I’m accountable to God to bring His Word to those under my care.  I must regularly plant seed and water what’s been planted.  Both are done by a Word from God.

The Word is both the seed and the water.  But that’s not a reason for you to feel comfortable if you’re not a pastor.  You’re under the same marching orders.

You’re accountable to God for the Word God has sent you to plant in the lives of others around you.  It’s this truth that sheds light on a problem that we’re currently experiencing in the body of Christ.

Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
Proverbs 25:14

It’s very easy to claim gifts that you don’t possess.

“I am a teacher to the body of Christ.”

“I’m a prophet of God.”

It’s easy to lay claim to titles and positions.  The true test is whether or not people are being planted with the Word of God.  Is there fruit to the ministry?

What the world desperately needs right now is a Word from God.  The church promises so much, yet a lot of it is “clouds and wind without rain.”

It’s time for God’s people to press in to receive His Word.  When our society sees someone truly transformed by the Spirit of God, then they’ll hunger to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Question: Why are so many believers content to merely talk about the good things of God, yet not experience them?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2013 in Word of God

 

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Are you Plugged In?

29 Mar

PlugI’ve been posting about the power of God at work in us.  How far are you willing to go to walk in the power of the Spirit?  Experience tells me that we would rather talk a good game and make excuses, than to put forth the effort to see the real thing.

“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

This is the last verse I looked at in my previous post.  It deals specifically with the power available to those who remain in Christ.  It says that they can ask what they wish and it will be done.

Think about the trust God places in that kind of believer.  I personally wouldn’t give that kind of power to most Christians that I know.  It would be dangerous.

The fact is that in this fifteenth chapter of John, the Lord referred to us remaining in Him 8 times in 4 verses.  I think He’s trying to make a point.  It’s required that we remain in Him if we want Him to manifest His power in us.

I asked a question four posts ago – in the first of this series (Power and Authority – The Difference).  I asked which form of power – AC or DC – was better?

You probably answered the question as most people do.  They say that they prefer DC batteries because they can go where they want.  They can take their device with them when they leave the house.  When you have to plug it in the wall, you’re confined to stay at home to use it.

This is the big problem in the body of Christ today.  We want to be able to leave the house.  If your goal is to go in and out of the house, then batteries are better.

If you intend on doing that in the spirit – living for Christ sometimes and living for self at other times, then the power of the law is better than no power at all.  Christians of this generation have a real problem with remaining in the spiritual “house.”

There are two forms of power.  The greater of these requires you to remain in Christ.  Our goal seems to be to live with one foot in the world, and one with Christ.  You can’t do that and use the power of the Spirit to any great extent.

We need to take an honest, hard look at our walk with God to see where we fit into this picture.  We must then be willing to make the changes necessary to remain in Christ.

Question: What will it cost you to remain in Christ?  Are you willing to pay the price?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on March 29, 2013 in Power of God, Revival

 

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Are you Asking the Right Questions?

18 Mar

Question MarkWe live in an age of hero worship.  It seems that people are more inclined to follow those with the most glitz and showmanship.  It has, unfortunately, carried over into the body of Christ.

When it comes to the teachings we accept, how do we decide who to listen to?  We need to be asking the right questions.  This was something that was clearly portrayed in the ministry of Christ.

The following is taken from the Scriptural passage found in the Gospel of Luke 4:16-40.  You will want to read that first to understand what I share in this post.

In that section of Scripture, Jesus preaches at two different synagogues.  One was in His hometown of Nazareth, and the other in Capernaum.  In both cases He preached the same message.  Knowing that it was the Lord, I am assuming that both messages had the same level of anointing.

In spite of these similarities, only one of the towns, Capernaum, received a blessing out of the visit.  It is clear to see from the narrative, that the reason was the questions that they asked themselves as Jesus was ministering.

This is important to us because we are guilty of the same type of attitudes that these people had.  I believe that we have missed out on countless blessings because our attitudes got in the way.  What makes the difference?

Verse 22 shows the question the people of Nazareth were asking.  It demonstrates what they were focusing on.

They spoke well of Him.  They were amazed at the words from His lips.

“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

They were concentrating on who was speaking – was He all that they were expecting?

Capernaum was a different case altogether.  Verse 32 and 36 make it clear that they were amazed at His teaching.  They recognized that His Word had power and authority.  Who He was and what He looked like didn’t figure into their acceptance of the Word.

As a result, revival fell in Capernaum that day.  Demons were cast out and all the sick that lived in that area were healed (Verse 33-40).

We need to learn this lesson.  Sometimes the biggest show has the least anointing.  On the other hand – there are times God wants to perform great miracles through His “unknown servants”.

We need to be asking, “What is the anointing, authority, and power upon this Word.”  How big a following someone has shouldn’t figure into it.  It’s all about the spirit behind the message, not the person God is using.

If we keep this in mind, then we’ll find the blessing of God in some of the most unlikely places.  We will also open ourselves up to the miraculous.

Question:  Have you ever received a blessing from God’s unknown servants?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on March 18, 2013 in Revival, The Church, Word of God

 

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