In my last post I talked about power and authority. Power is the ability to produce change. Authority is the permission to use power.
Jesus told us that we had authority over all the power of the enemy. This causes me to question our current church experience. If what the Lord said is true, then why does the enemy seem to be winning?
To understand this you must realize that just like electricity, there are two forms of spiritual power.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
These were some of the last words of Jesus before He was taken up into Heaven. We must realize that our power comes from God Himself through the Holy Spirit in us. This means that the two sources of spiritual power are the Holy Spirit and sin.
This is a very important fact to know if we’re to grow in our spiritual walk. Our goal should be to only receive our power from the Holy Spirit.
We must be certain that we’re not powered by the same thing that powers the enemy’s kingdom. To have this assurance, we need to ask a very important question. If sin is a power source, then what is the power of sin?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
That should be an eye opener. Most Christians have no idea that the power of sin is the law. We seem to have missed this fact even though it’s plainly taught in the Scripture. This means that without the law, sin would have no power.
As a matter of fact, Satan’s power is derived totally from sin. So if there were no law, then the enemy would have no power. Everything that Satan is able to do is powered by the law. Whether you realize this or not, every accusation and attack that he makes is all based upon the law. The problem we have is that just knowing this truth isn’t enough to defeat him.
Like AC and DC, both forms are very powerful. AC is the type of electricity that powers your house. DC is the type that starts your car in the morning as well as supplying power for the lightning we see in a thunderstorm. In the same way, the two forms of spiritual power can be very potent.
We, as believers, need to understand the differences so that we’ll not fall into the trap of trying to use the enemy’s power to defeat sin in our lives.
Question: How do we sometimes try to use our sinful nature to defeat sin in our lives?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: AC, authority, Christ, DC, devil, electricity, enemy, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, permission, power, power of sin, power of the spirit, produce change, Satan, sin, spiritual power, the enemy's power source, the law
We 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
Tags: anointing, asking the right questions, authority, blessing, blessing of God, body of Christ, Christ, expectations, hero, hero worship, Jesus, message, ministry, power, preaching, questions, revival, showman, showmanship, teaching, unknown servants, word, word of God
Many people are looking for “the Anti-Christ.” Even Hollywood has done movies about it. If you’re a believer, then you need to realize that we are already facing the spirit of antichrist that’s at work in the world.
Can you recognize the working of this spirit? Do you even know what to look for? This knowledge is important for our spiritual well-being in these last days.
But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
1 John 4:3
The Apostle John tells us that there is a spirit of antichrist. According to him, it was already at work in his day.
What is it? Well, let’s think about it. The title Christ means the Anointed One. It was a description of the Messiah. Anti means that this spirit is actively working against the Anointed One.
When we bow our knee to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we place ourselves under His anointing.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
We now have the Anointed One and His anointing active in our lives. This anointing is leading us somewhere. It is guaranteeing what the Lord want to accomplish through us. That’s the Spirit of Christ in us.
The spirit of antichrist is active in the world. There is an “anti-anointing” at work trying to neutralize what Christ is doing through us.
What we have to realize is that it’s all about Christ. Have you ever noticed that if you talk about God or a “higher power,” it’s okay? You can even talk about religion to some extent.
But, as soon as you try to talk about Jesus Christ, the conversation gets shut down. Using that precious name to swear is socially acceptable. Yet when I want to show how that name can transform a life, it becomes an “off limits” topic.
There is power in the name of Jesus. That’s where the source of our anointing comes from. We cannot minister without it.
That’s why the kingdom of the enemy is so adamant about trying to shut it down. The spirit of antichrist – this anti-anointing that’s in the world – wants us to remain silent.
That’s why it’s so important to recognize where this comes from. Even more important to know, is that our anointing is greater, stronger, and more effective than anything in the enemy’s arsenal. If we stand in Christ, then we cannot be stopped or silenced.
As believers, we need to recognize that this anti-spirit is active around us. But we must never fear it. Neither will we submit to it or compromise with it.
Question: Have you seen this antichrist spirit active in the people around you?
Tags: anointed one, antichrist, at work, Christ, God, higher power, His anointing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, Messiah, name of Jesus, recognizing the spirit of antichrist, savior, spirit, spirit of antichrist, Spirit of Christ, world
Do you believe that we’re living in the Last Days before the coming of the Lord? Do you think that His return is close? If so, then what should our mindset be like?
At one point in His ministry the Lord talked about the importance of being ready. We’re not to be distracted by all the things the world has to offer.
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.”
Luke 12:35-36
In this verse Jesus shows us how to live in the last days. He tells us to be dressed. For us it means to have our spiritual armor on. Don’t go around without your protection from the snares of the enemy.
Too many Christians are walking around spiritually naked. Then they wonder why the enemy has such an easy time messing with them. The time is now to prepare for the conflict ahead.
The Lord also said to keep your lamps burning. We must be awake and alert. The world is in the dark and we’re supposed to be in the light. That’s the kind of constant preparedness our lives should be equipped with.
We are to be in an attitude of waiting and watching. The meaning of the word that He uses for waiting is to give access to.
In other words, I’m not living for myself. I’m at someone else’s disposal. I’m supposed to be ready at a moment’s notice to do something for somebody else.
The Lord must have 24 hour a day access to our lives. As soon as the Master knocks we should be at the door, opening it. Our schedule should not even factor into it. We live to please the Master.
Sometimes our attitude with the Lord sounds like this; “Oh, I’m sorry. I was reading a book, and I wanted to finish the paragraph.” Servants don’t have that luxury. We live to please Christ. We must be prepared to serve at a moment’s notice.
In order to fulfill this calling we must have the attitude of a waiting servant. Christ is coming, and we want to be ready when He appears. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, what I’m reading, or what I’m eating – when He arrives on the scene, I’m there to meet Him. “Lord, I’m ready for you.” That’s the ready attitude to have.
It’s time for the church to stop living like our wants and desires are the most important thing. Christ must be given the highest priority of our service.
Question: Does the church appear ready for the return of Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: alert, attitude, awake, Christ, church, coming of the Lord, distracted, distractions, end time, Jesus, lamps burning, last days, last days mentality, mindset, ready, return of the Lord, second coming, servant, spiritual armor
It’s hard to believe, but in reality the United States can no longer be called a Christian nation. Yes, there are pockets of Christian majorities on various parts of the map, but overall the influence of believers is almost gone. I believe this is because we have lost sight of the true message of the Gospel.
I was recently reading a post about 5 issues the church will have to deal with over the next ten years. It was by Ed Stetzer, the President of Lifeway Research. In it he made some startling statements that I may comment about from time to time.
The issue that caught my attention, was that the church of this generation needs a clear understanding of the Gospel. It wasn’t many years ago that the flames of renewal and revival were sweeping across many parts of our nation. How have we fallen so far from the message of Christ?
Where has the Gospel of Jesus Christ gone? In many churches we are taught how to be “good people.” There are messages on how to live a great life – overcoming depression and other negative qualities. It’s almost as if the modern church has become a group emotional-therapy session.
Paul’s words should bring us a much needed wake-up call.
2 Timothy 2:8
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel…
We wonder why our impact on society has diminished. This just might be the key. The Gospel is not about New Year’s resolutions or turning over a new leaf. It’s not even about wanting to be a better person, spouse, or parent.
The true message of the Gospel is not about what I do. It’s all about what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. He died, was buried, and He rose back to life on the third day. The Lord accomplished this so that we could receive His life and become a new person in Him.
Anything less than that is not the Gospel.
In his post, Ed Stetzer made a statement that I have turned into a question in order to check myself. As a pastor, I’m responsible for the message received by the people under my care. I’m going to be accountable for what I preach to them each week.
The question I must ask myself is this: Would the message I’m preaching still be true if Jesus hadn’t died on the cross? If so, then I’m not proclaiming the Gospel. It might be good and helpful to the listener, but it isn’t the Good News of the Bible. The Gospel is life-changing.
The church in America needs to return to the true Gospel message.
Question: How do you perceive a need for the Gospel in our generation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, America needs the Gospel, believers, Christ, Christian, Christian nation, church, cross, good news, gospel, influence, Jesus, message, message of Christ, preaching, proclaiming, renewal, revival, true message, understanding, United States
In my last post I talked about how Jesus rebuked the Pharisees (and us) for using the Scripture superstitiously. In effect, Jesus told them, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess healing. Yet you refuse to come to Me, the Healer.”
The Lord could say the same thing to us, these days. “You think that by Scripture you will possess prosperity, yet you refuse to come to Me, the Provider.”
Please understand what I’m saying. The Holy Spirit can speak a Word of healing to me through the Scripture, but He’s not limited to this avenue. All that I need for life and godliness is found in Christ.
I will never obtain God’s blessing through my works – not even through intensive study and memorizing of the Bible. Healing will come by the Word of God – no matter how God chooses to send it to me.
We need to hear a Word from God. That Word will only come from time spent in His presence. When I study the Bible instead of cultivating intimacy with the Lord, I’m going to lose out. That’s the very problem that the Pharisees had.
…and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior…
Titus 1:3
In this passage, Paul tells Titus that the Word of God is made visible by the command of God. It is God’s Word made manifest in God’s time. That’s why time spent with the Lord is so important. I need to be quiet and listening to hear His voice. Hearing from God is actually the greatest theme of the New Testament. It’s the foundation for everything we need in our walk with God.
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
This is one of the greatest misunderstandings that we have in looking back to the early church. We think that they were just like us. On the contrary, they knew the importance of seeking a Word from God. They spent time in His presence listening for His voice.
What I’m saying is this – the study of Scripture and hearing from God are not replacements for each other. We need both, in order to have an abundant life in the Lord. In our generation, the study of Scripture has been elevated out of proportion to listening for God’s voice. That’s why my message is so strong for the church to spend time listening to God.
Question: Have you ever been guilty of seeking blessings from Scripture rather than Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, blessing, blessing of God, Christ, church, diligent study, God's word, hear his voice, Holy Spirit, importance of a word from God, Jesus, listening, manifest, Pharisee, Scripture, study, study of Scripture, superstition, voice of God, word, word from God, word of God, word of healing
I have been posting about the Word of God and its relation to Scripture. I’ve probably said some things that have caused you to question my beliefs. In today’s post you’ll see that what I believe is firmly rooted in the teaching of Christ, Himself.
At one point the Pharisees were trying to come up with a reason to kill Jesus. They were upset that He healed people on the Sabbath and called God “Father,” among other things. It’s important to see how the Lord handled these men. Remember, these were people who dedicated their lives to the study and memorization of Scripture.
And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
John 5:37-40
Notice how the Lord’s words to the Pharisees resemble His words to Satan when He was tempted. He first tells them that they have not heard from God nor seen God. He then told them that God’s Word did not live in them. Wait a minute – they had the Scripture memorized – yet God’s Word did not have a place in their lives.
Jesus then makes a statement that we need to pay particular attention to. He admits that those around Him diligently study the Scripture. Isn’t that a good thing? Why does it sound more like an indictment when the Lord says it?
Because it all depends upon why you’re studying the Scripture. They were approaching it with the wrong reasoning. Listen carefully to the words of Christ. He said that they diligently study the Scriptures because they think that by the Scripture they possess life.
Jesus is clear. You cannot possess life in Scripture. You can only possess life in Christ. It doesn’t matter how hard you study or how many verses you have memorized, according to Jesus, you will not find Life in the Scripture.
You may get mad at me for saying it – but that will not change the truth. How we handle the Scriptures these days borders on superstition. So many of us believe that the Bible is going to give us what we want.
I have heard it preached (I preached it, myself, before I understood the truth) that if you want something from God, “just find a Scripture that supports it and stand upon it.” That’s not what the Bible is for.
Christ came that we might live the abundant life. That life will only be found in Him. There are many aspects of the abundant life that the above truth could apply to. Think of how we do things in the church today. Christ could be speaking directly to us.
Question: How have you seen the Bible used superstitiously?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: abundant life, Bible, Christ, God's word, Holy Bible, Jesus, life, life in Christ, Pharisees, Scripture, study, study the scripture, superstition, the Lord, word, word of God, word of life
Even though the church talks a lot about the Word of God, I wonder sometimes just how mature we really are. At one point the writer of the Book of Hebrews rebukes his listeners for their lack of maturity.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:12-14
In order to become mature, we must learn the elementary truths of God’s Word. Then when we’re mature, we are able to discern the good from the evil. This is especially needed when someone supports their evil with a verse of Scripture.
People try to push the dumbest things, all in the name of God’s Word. I believe these days of such foolishness are coming to an end. I believe that God is bringing His people to a new level of maturity in the Holy Spirit.
As we mature, we will be able to discern whether something is of God, or just a clever deception. That’s one of the reasons I’m posting this blog. So that the Lord’s people can live for God unashamed and correctly handling the Word of Truth.
In Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the wilderness, He made the following statement.
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4
Here is why maturity in the Word is so important – The Word is our Life. Jesus said that food was not enough for man to live on. If someone truly wants the abundant life, then he needs to grasp the Word of God.
Paul understood this truth as he ministered to his people. He wrote to them about how to live as examples to the world.
…as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
Philippians 2:16
This is such an important aspect that God’s Word is even called the Word of Life. That’s why Jesus – the Word made flesh – could say that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Word of God brings life. The Word of God is life. This is a very important point for us to understand.
Question: In what ways have you experienced the abundant life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: becoming mature in the word, Christ, discern, elementary truths, evil, God's word, good, Holy Spirit, Jesus, life, mature, maturity, truth, way, word, word of God, word of life
We live in an age where people are using the Bible to support what they’re doing or teaching. How do I know if I’m truly hearing God’s Word? Just because someone quotes the Scripture – is it really God’s Word they’re proclaiming?
In my last post we saw that Jesus didn’t accept the scriptural declaration of the devil. He knew that the enemy was not speaking God’s Word to Him.
Here is a surprising fact you may not know. Throughout the entire Bible, the Scripture never calls itself the Word of God. That’s something we have done.
At this point you’re probably ready to stone me as a heretic. Please wait. I’m not saying that the Bible is not the Word of God. All I’m saying is that the Bible doesn’t call itself the Word of God.
There is an important reason for that, which Christ Himself will testify to. You need to let His words speak to you to understand the true nature of Scripture and the Word of God.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
John 17:17
Jesus is very clear in this passage. God’s Word is not just truthful. It doesn’t only contain truth. It is, by its very nature, TRUTH.
What about Christ the Living Word? Didn’t He say, “I am the Way, THE TRUTH, and the Life.”? There’s no getting around it – God’s Word is truth.
It’s unfortunate, but people can take the words of Scripture and twist them around for their own ends. That’s why we need a daily walk with the Holy Spirit. There’s a reason He’s called the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of God gives us the discernment we need when reading or hearing the Scripture.
Christ needed to discern the “word” He heard from the devil. He was mature enough to see that even though Satan was quoting Scripture, his intent was evil. In that case, the verse that the devil spoke was not the Word of God to Jesus.
We’re running into the same type of problems in the church today. It grieves me that there are ministers whose only reason for studying the Bible, is to find passages that will convince you to put your money into their wallets. They’ll tell you, based upon a Bible verse, that you will be blessed if you send them an offering of your month’s salary.
They’ll tell you that it’s God’s Word to you that if you’ll send them the money, then you’ll be out of debt and in a new house by the end of the year. Of course, when it doesn’t come to pass you’ll blame God. “I stood on God’s Word and He failed to keep it.”
Unfortunately, it was not God’s Word that failed. What happened was that some preacher’s faulty use of the Scripture failed. Then again, it got him the money he wanted, so it didn’t fail to bring in what he was after – your money.
Question: Have you ever seen the Scripture used to promote a lie?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, devil, discern, discernment, enemy, God's word, Holy Spirit, Jesus, mature, Satan, Scripture, Scripture truth word of God, Spirit of God, Spirit of truth, truth, walk in the Spirit, walk with the Spirit, word of God
In my last post I talked about the lies of the devil. We saw that, according to Jesus, the enemy cannot hold the truth neither is there any truth in him at all.
Understanding this gives us insight into how the devil operates. He speaks lies, sometimes by making true statements. We need to understand this as we look at an encounter between Christ and the devil.
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Matthew 4:5-6
This verse is important in understanding the relationship between the Bible and the Word of God. Here we see the devil quoting the Bible correctly. He even used it in context. The verse is from Psalm 91 which we all know is about the protection of God for the Messiah and us.
Now, it’s time for the tough question. In quoting the Bible, was Satan speaking the Word of God to Jesus? Be very careful how you answer this. It’s the basis for understanding how the Word of God works in us.
Jesus clearly taught that Satan could not hold the truth neither was there any truth in him at all, yet it is clear that he has the Bible memorized. We know that the devil only quotes the Scripture when it suits his purpose to try and deceive us. His use of Scripture is actually a lie – according to Christ Himself.
As I said previously, we get so caught up asking the wrong questions. We should be asking, what exactly is the Word of God to me? I need a Word from heaven. How do I know what that Word is? When Jesus heard the Scripture from the mouth of Satan, He totally rejected it as a lie meant to trip Him up in His walk with the Father.
Then what is the Scripture? It is the written record of the Word of God, given to various people, at different times, under different circumstances and for many purposes. I have to ask, is what I’m reading God’s Word to me? The answer to that is both yes and no.
There are some scriptures that have nothing to do with me or what I’m going through. There are others that the Holy Spirit can use to speak to me. That’s the key. What is the Holy Spirit saying to me? Very often He will use Scripture to speak to believers.
But you must also understand that Satan will use Scripture as well. That’s why it’s so very important that we learn to discern the voice of the Spirit. The Bible is a spiritual book and must be read prayerfully.
Question: How has God spoken to you through the pages of Scripture?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, devil, devil and the word of God, discerning, Holy Spirit, Jesus, lie, lies, Satan, Scripture, Spirit of truth, temptation, truth, understanding, word, word of God, word of truth
In my last post I talked about power and authority. Power is the ability to produce change. Authority is the permission to use power.
The Spirit and the Word 