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Tag Archives: Christian walk

Be Holy

07 Mar
Be Holy

We’re continuing on our walk through 1 Peter. He’s bringing us along the path of holiness. After telling us how to prepare our thinking, Peter takes us to the bottom line.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV

To be “holy” means to be “set apart.” It means that we see ourselves as reserved exclusively for God’s use. I’m no longer a part of a crowd, headed for destruction. Through Christ, I’ve been singled out to serve the Lord.

Notice that it’s not about what we do. We’re not called to simply do holy things. We’re called to BE holy.

It’s not enough for me to look holy. I must have a lifestyle of holiness to the Lord.

The problem with the Pharisees of Jesus’ day was that they only wanted to appear holy in order to impress those around them.

That can’t be our way of living. This is Peter’s whole reason for writing. He continues.

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

1 Peter 1:17 NIV

We need to look at this verse closely. First of all, Peter makes an assumption. He’s assuming that the people he’s addressing are calling out to God. So, he’s not talking to carnal Christians.

We serve God the Father. So, we need to understand His way of doing things. The literal translation of this verse tells us that the Father does not judge our work on face value or what it appears to be.

Like I said earlier, it’s not enough just to appear holy. You can do holy looking works, but God isn’t fooled by them. He knows whether or not your heart belongs to Him.

Knowing this should bring us to the next level in our Christian walk. That’s the fear of the Lord. According to Peter, knowing how the Father judges…in fear we should spend the rest of our time as strangers.

This is another thing we miss sometimes. There are many who try to soften God’s image. Even in this translation they say reverent fear. Some explain the fear of the Lord as a holy respect.

God is big enough that He doesn’t need your defense. You don’t need to tone down the words He uses.

The word for fear in this verse is the Greek word phobo. That’s where we get our word phobia. It literally means fear. But we do need to understand the object of the fear God is looking for.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:7 NIV

Noah is a good example of this. Because of his faith – he believed what God said – he was afraid of what would happen if he ignored God’s warning. He was not afraid of God. I’m sure he loved God for warning him of the future.

It’s like someone who buys a new, expensive sports car. He may drive slowly and carefully. But it’s not because he’s afraid to drive, but afraid he may lose what he has invested in because of recklessness.

That’s what it’s about for us. We’re not to be afraid of God. He’s not out to get us. But we need to be afraid of doing something to ruin the relationship we have with Him.

Question: How do you see the fear of the Lord working in your life?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 7, 2025 in Legalism, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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God Working Among You

30 Oct
God Working Among You

As we continue through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, he’s now coming to the final part. This verse is the last of his teaching section. We need to take it to heart.

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.

Philippians 4:9 NIV

This is a final exhortation, and a promise that goes with it. To really understand what Paul is saying here, you need to know that everything in this verse is plural. That means he’s speaking to the church as a whole. It’s not about one single person.

We have to come to grips with this truth. God wants to work through the church as a whole. WE are the body of Christ. It’s not a one-man or one-woman show.

He tells us the result of all this is the God of peace being seen among us. That’s what we should all be striving for in our churches. For that to happen, we need to go through the progression that the apostle puts forth.

I think that the best way to understand it is to go in reverse order from how it’s laid out in this verse. That will show how our maturity can increase by following the example of those who are more experienced in the things of God.

First, there are the things that they saw in Paul. When we look at a mature believer, we see certain characteristics. We see how they follow Christ, their attitudes and actions. We should be taking mental notes on how that portrays Christ to us.

But, that’s not enough. We need to know how to apply what we’ve seen. Now you have to get in a position to hear from them. We need to listen to what they say.

Too often, mature believers are ignored because we think that they’re too strict. They follow Christ too closely. But, that’s the kind of walk we need to think about. We need to hear about what they learned and the struggles they went through to get where they are.

The next step is to receive from them. Actually, this Greek word means to receive near them. This requires us to be more intentional. It means that we start associating with these mature Christians. You have to realize that you become like the people you associate with.

That’s true whether you associate with strong believers or ungodly sinners. The more you hang with them, the more you pick up their attitudes; good or bad.

So, the best resource is to find someone who is strong in the Lord. Then, start to spend time with them. Allow their attitudes to work a change in you.

That sets you up for the next step. Once you’ve adopted the same attitudes, you can truly say that you learned how to live for Christ in maturity. That’s why we’re called to be disciples – not students. A student simply wants to learn what the teacher knows. A disciple wants to become what the teacher is.

That’s why, usually, a mature Christian walk is “caught not taught”. We learn maturity through our association with strong believers.

This is the reason Paul ended the sentence by saying to put these things into practice. That means doing them repeatedly, over and over again. Just because I help someone once, doesn’t mean I’m helpful. Helpful means that I habitually help others.

It’s the same in our walk with Christ. One act of godliness doesn’t make me godly. Godliness is a lifestyle. It’s picked up and carried on through an entire life of service to the Lord.

That’s how Paul ends the teaching portion of his letter to this church. We should understand the importance of this and follow through with it.

Question: How far along the journey to maturity do you see yourself?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 30, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Relationships, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Upward Road

11 Oct
The Upward Road

As we continue through the book of Philippians, Paul has been showing us his goals in ministry. That is, his desire to identify with Christ. But it’s not only a desire for the power, but in the fellowship of his suffering as well.

Now, he wants to make something very clear. He’s not perfect yet.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

Paul tells us two things that hasn’t happened yet. He hasn’t taken hold of it yet. And, he hasn’t yet arrived at the goal. He has to keep moving forward just like the rest of us.

What is that goal? It’s obvious from this verse that Paul doesn’t know the complete picture yet. He’s still hearing the step by step instructions from the Lord.

Right now, Paul’s desire is to find out why God chose him. What is the final destiny that awaits him at the end of his journey? That’s the big question that we all wrestle with.

We have to serve God with this understanding. We will not know the full scope of our ministry until we get the final picture at the end of our earthly lives.

We serve a God who requires us to operate in faith. That means we trust God, not knowing where the road will lead us. The Holy Spirit guides us one step at a time.

That’s not the way I would choose to go. I like having my whole route mapped out before I start on a road trip. But, I’ve learned that it’s not my will which takes priority. God is the one in control. He sets the agenda.

So, it’s up to me to follow the Lord’s leading, even when it doesn’t make sense to me. Sometimes it’s a struggle to keep up. At times it’s inconvenient. That’s not the issue. It’s about who has the final say in my direction. So, I follow in His footsteps.

Paul makes it clear that we’re being called heavenward. That’s an upward call. It’s like climbing a mountain. You know it will be a great view at the top. So, even though it’s tiring, you keep going.

It’s not always easy to press on. Sometimes it’s an effort just to put one foot in front of the other. As a hiker, I’ve learned to just keep moving forward.

There have been times when I was hiking, when because of injury or pain, I’ve felt like giving up. It’s in times like those that I had to keep telling myself, “As long as you keep taking each step, you’ll come out to the end of the trail.”

It’s the same thing in life. It’s usually not the big things that knock us down, but the continual monotony of our daily lives, day after day, week after week. It’s the constant grind that saps our strength and weakens our spirit.

In order to overcome, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We know that if we keep to His course for our lives, we’ll come out with His result. We’ll lay hold of the prize for which He has called us.

Don’t give up. Go to the Lord today and ask for His strength for the road ahead. Don’t live a day without allowing His renewing Spirit to work in your life.

Question: How well are you persevering at this point in your walk with God?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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A Devoted Life

29 Sep
A Devoted Life

Sorry…the following post is out of order. It should have published last week, but I had a glitch in my processing. So here it is, now!

We’re going through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. He’s been sharing his heart with them because of their faithful support of his ministry. He continues along these lines.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Philippians 2:17-18 NIV

You have to understand that his reference to being a drink offering is not talking about martyrdom. That’s not what’s happening to him right now. It’s deeper than that.

Yes, the Greek word he uses in this verse means a libation – a drink offering. However, it’s also used to mean something that you devote your entire life to.

That’s where the “rubber meets the road” in our Christian walk. Sometimes it’s so easy for us to say, “Of course I would die for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The problem is when it comes to the daily sacrifice of our lives.

It’s so much more difficult to die to ourselves each day. That’s what Paul is talking about in this passage. He has devoted his life to see the church doing these two things – sacrificing and serving.

Because of their faith in Christ, they’re willing to be a living sacrifice. They’re willing to lay everything down for the cause of Christ. But, more than that, the word, service, that Paul uses, means a public devotion to the Lord.

That’s what the apostle has devoted his life to. And it brings him great joy to see the effect that the Philippian church is having in their region.

In the same way, this church had devoted much of their resources to support Paul’s ministry. They need to pick up on that same attitude of joyfulness. They can see the affect Paul is having and rejoice in the part that they have played in the advancement of the Gospel.

The fact is that this type of devotion is contagious.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

Philippians 2:19-24 NIV

Timothy was one of Paul’s spiritual sons. He traveled and labored with Paul. During that time, he picked up the same devotion to ministry. Timothy’s desire was the same as Paul’s.

Paul makes the issue very clear. It’s something that we need to wrestle with in our generation. Are we looking out for our own interests, or those of Jesus Christ? How you answer that question makes all the difference.

In my last post, I talked about what it means to live an empty, unfulfilled life. This is just the opposite. When you devote all that you are to the cause of Christ, you find the joy of living.

I know this sounds counter-intuitive. Giving up your agenda and desires for those of Christ is not what we naturally want to do. However, in life, the best things are the hardest of lay hold of. Laying down your life for the Lord truly is the best road.

Question: How deep is your devotion to Christ?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 29, 2023 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Luke’s Gospel – Christ Our Example

10 Nov
Luke’s Gospel – Christ Our Example

In my last post, I finished our study in the book of Romans. Those who have followed this blog for a while know that my goal is to go through the New Testament in the order it was reveal to the church. That means the next book, based upon my studies, is the Gospel of Luke.

To review, it seems to me that the Holy Spirit had a plan in how He inspired the New Testament to be written. He started with the foundational books of James, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, and Mark. The next group dealt with what I personally need to know to serve Christ. These books are 2 Thessalonians,1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans, and Luke.

After that, we’ll go on to the books that deal with our corporate walk with Christ. But for now, we will start with Luke’s Gospel. Here’s how he introduces his message.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke 1:1-4

In this post, I simply want to introduce you to Luke. Who was he, and why did he write this Gospel? Luke was the physician who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys. He was probably a Gentile who was saved at Antioch about 15 years after Pentecost.

After his salvation, Luke became a friend and associate of Paul. He was highly educated and as a Greek speaking Gentile, he had a high literary ability.

When we read through the Gospel of Luke, it’s obvious that he’s writing to the Gentiles of his day. He rarely references the Old Testament and explains Jewish customs. God was able to use him because as a companion of Paul, his ministry was to the Gentile people.

What we find is that each of the four Gospels has their own purpose and theme. So far, we’ve only looked at Mark, which was basically a short outline of the Life of Christ. Now, Luke comes along and is writing in the style of the Greek culture.

This means that he uses a lot of descriptive language as well as prayers and sermons. His goal was to have a specific order to his book for people who liked to think about what they read.

We also need to realize that when he says that he’s writing an orderly account, that does not mean chronologically. It means that he’s writing with a definite plan. Many times Luke quotes a sermon Jesus gives and then gives us some examples from His life that illustrates what He just taught.

From the above verse, it’s clear that he’s writing to someone who already had a basic knowledge of Christ. He now wants to give that person a more grounded knowledge of who Jesus is.

What does that mean to us? As we go through this Gospel we’ll be looking to Jesus as our example of how to live for God. We know that He was fully God and fully man.

To live in this world, the Lord chose to lay aside the power He had as God. Then, He lived as we have to live. He served God with His humanity, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide Him the same way that we have to.

That’s what we’ll be concentrating on as I move forward with these posts. Yes, Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but He’s also the Son of Man. I can look to Him as the greatest example of the victorious life.

Hopefully you’ll come along with me on this journey. It’s a lengthy book, but the rewards of studying it will be great.

Question: What are you expecting to receive from the Gospel of Luke?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 10, 2021 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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The Spiritual Battle – Pressing In

20 Jan

Do you know where you are in the history of the church?  This question isn’t about a place, but time.

I’m posting about the spiritual battle that’s going on around us.  It’s vital that we know the times we live in.

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Romans 13:11

We need to know where we are on God’s timetable. I don’t like saying it, but the truth is that past generations of believers could “sleep” through their Christian walk. Not us. We live in dangerous times.

The Apostle Paul continues talking about this.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 13:12-14

In this generation, we need to lay aside the things that are a part of the darkness. In their place, we must put on the armor of God.

We must live carefully and clothe ourselves with Christ. And as I focused on in my last post, we need to watch and pray. That’s how we keep alert spiritually.

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 6:18

This verse literally says that we must keep watch with all persistency. That word persistency means to be strong toward, to be diligent. We must be diligent in the battle zone.

When we say that we need to be strong toward something, it speaks about a goal, a direction. We sometimes use the term “press in.”

In battle, there are places that are hard to get to. There are houses you can’t enter until you bind the strong man. It isn’t easy to press into the miraculous. If it was – everyone, every church would have it.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 2:42-43

Was it any easier back then, in the early church? Did those believers have all the time in the world to do all these things? I don’t think they were any different from us. It was as hard for them as it is for this generation.

If we want God’s best, it takes diligence. It will cause us to leave our comfort zone. But the spiritual rewards will be worth it.

Question: What do you find to be the most difficult about pressing into God’s presence?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on January 20, 2020 in Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare

 

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All About Me

15 May

As we continue our look at Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian Church, he’s speaking about how idolatry relates to the grey areas of sin.  This is an important issue.  The apostle now lays down the principle of participation.

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 participation 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 other places in Scripture.  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’re 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.

Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?  Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?  No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.  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 10:18-21

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, sporting events, 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 spiritual sickness.

Paul tells us the bottom line.

Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?  Are we stronger than he?
“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 10:22-24

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 what’s right or wrong for me.  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?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2019 in Fellowship, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Fruit When You Need It

09 Feb

In the last few posts, we went through some of the parables of Jesus concerning the Word of God in us.  We saw how to plant it, cultivate it, and eventually see the manifestation of God’s Kingdom as a result.  As soon as He explains these parables, the Lord gives His disciples a vivid demonstration.

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Mark 4:35-39

This is a perfect illustration of hearing and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit (the Word of God).  Jesus was asleep when the storm came up.  The boat was full of water.  They were all minutes from drowning.

There was no time for Jesus to fast and pray about the problem.  There were no friends He could call to pray for Him.  It was a “hear from God or die” situation.

Through His intimacy with the Father, Christ had sensitized Himself to hear the voice of the Spirit.  This was true even in a stress-filled moment.

He talked to the wind and the waves.  The fact is that you don’t speak to inanimate objects unless you’ve heard from God.  He had the assurance, before He spoke, that it would have an effect.

That’s why we need to plant the Word in our lives.  We need to keep the good soil of our hearts free from rocks and weeds.  Then we have the fruit of the Word when we need it.

Even a fool knows that you don’t wait until you want a salad to plant a garden.  You always plant with the expectation of a future harvest.  In this case, Jesus needed the harvest of the Word at that moment.  Because the Lord spent time in the Father’s presence, the power was there when needed.

This should be an example to us.  Without spending quality time with the Holy Spirit, we won’t have a sensitivity to the Spirit’s voice.  A relationship is only matured over time.

Too often I’ve seen disappointed Christians try to do what Jesus did.  They spoke to a situation, and nothing changed.  They get frustrated, angry, and disillusioned with the Lord.

The problem is that you can’t walk out in this type of faith without hearing from God.  You have to get to know how He speaks to you.  Then you need a track record of obedience to what you hear.  The disciples found that out the hard way.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this?  Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:40-41

They missed the whole point, just like us sometimes.  Jesus clearly was saying that they could have handled the storm just like He did.  They came to the conclusion that Jesus was somehow different than they were.

Yes, He is the Son of God.  But He limited Himself to operating as a man under the Holy Spirit’s direction.  If we’re hearing and obedient, we should be doing the same works that the Lord did.

I believe that this is where the Lord is taking His church in our generation.  If we’re willing to spend the time learning to listen for His voice.

Question: How often do you spend in the spirit, listening for the Lord to speak to you?

© 2018 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 9, 2018 in Faith, Power of God, Prayer, Word of God

 

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Imitation – The Path to Greatness

05 Jun

In my last post, I talked about how the Thessalonian believers accepted the Word of God. It changed them. It brought them to a new way of life.

But even though it created a desire for change in them, something else was needed. You may have the desire and the power to change, but without a proper example, you won’t know how to live a new life.

For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

The word imitation keeps popping up in this letter. That’s because it’s an important concept for growing Christians. More than ever, we need leaders who are worthy of imitation.

I don’t know where I’d be today if weren’t for the pastors and teachers who I watched and copied along the way. By watching their examples, I learned how to love others, to pray for those in need of God’s touch, and how to witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

We were never meant to serve God on our own. It’s not God’s plan for us to figure everything out all by ourselves. We need to follow in the footsteps of those who have walked this path before.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7

We sometimes get the idea that the great men and women of God were somehow born into their positions of honor. We see the work that they’re doing now and can’t grasp that they ever had to struggle with their Christian walk.

The fact is that every believer – whether they’re a leader or not – has to wrestle with the same problems and challenges. The important thought in this verse is to consider how their lives turned out.

That word, consider, means to look again. We need to take a second look at our leaders. See how they got from salvation to their present position. Then, we should imitate the positive way that they trusted and served Christ.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Hebrews 6:12

Here’s the key. When we look at those who are leaders in the body of Christ, we must always understand the road that they took.

There’s no easy way. It’s not just about faith. Inheriting the promise comes through both faith and patience.

We think that we can simply start trusting God and walk in a ministry like those who’ve been trusting the Lord for years. It doesn’t work like that.

Imitation doesn’t only mean that I minister the way they do right now. It means that I follow the same path that they took to get there. I have to learn the same lessons and fight some of the same battles.

The good news is that if they could come through victoriously, then I can too. God is no respecter of persons. If I’m willing to listen to, trust, and obey God the way others do, then I’ll receive the same inheritance.

Question: What blessings are in your life as a result of godly examples?

© Nick Zaccardi 2017

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2017 in Faith, Leadership, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Pattern – Caught not Taught

09 Sep

FireI’ve been posting about the Scriptural pattern of living. In my last installment, I talked about allowing God to be involved in our daily lives. If you aren’t interested in the Lord being a part of all that you do, then you’ll never reach your full potential in Christ.

Assuming that you’re reading this because you want to grow in your Christian walk, let’s look at this pattern.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:13

Here the Apostle Paul tells the young pastor, Timothy, to continue teaching what was passed on to him. Walking with Christ is not all about some new, exciting fad of teaching. We’re not to go around with itching ears looking for the latest wind of doctrine.

The truths associated with walking out our faith remain constant. Methods, technology, and cultures may change, but our focus must always be upon Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit’s role in the church never changes.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
Philippians 3:17

This verse brings to light one of the biggest problems in the church of our generation. The pattern of living is not something that can merely be taught. To really understand it, you have to watch someone who’s living it out.

Jesus Christ exemplified what it meant to walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. The twelve apostles were privileged to watch the Lord and be immersed in that lifestyle. After the resurrection and the receiving of the gift of the Spirit they could walk out what they saw in Him.

It’s clear from Scripture that the same power, authority, and obedience to the Spirit were evidenced in their lives. The miraculous was an everyday occurrence in their ministries.

Even the next generation after the original twelve retained much of that walk. They saw the lifestyle of the apostles and reaped the same results. Unfortunately, the further from the cross we progressed, the more of this knowledge and experience was lost.

At this point in Christianity, God is restoring much that was lost. However, there are very few believers who exemplify the very lifestyle of Christ. It must be relearned from the basics.

There’s no other way for us to pick this up. We must read and study what we can from the pages of Scripture. Then, spend the time necessary with the Holy Spirit to learn how to hear and obey His voice.

That’s why time in the spirit is so important. If I’m to ever live like Christ in this generation, it will be as I’m trained at the Savior’s feet. There’s no quick fix to attain the abundant life.

Question: How important is it for believers to live and minister like Jesus?

© Nick Zaccardi 2016

 
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Posted by on September 9, 2016 in Ministry, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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