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Cultivating Your Soul for Revival

14 Apr

agricultureEverybody says that they want revival. Few understand what it is or how it comes about. The spirit of revival starts in the lives of individuals before it ever sweeps the church.

What I’ve found is that there are five realizations that we must come to for revival to get a foothold in our lives.

King David understood this. The following is taken from Psalm 51. You may want to read it before looking at the rest of this article. It’s David’s cry for repentance after his sin with Bathsheba.

(Verses 1-5) Realization #1 – I’m not walking in the fullness of my calling. We need to take a long, hard, look at ourselves. No comparisons, no excuses, and no justifications. We must see the life that Christ has called us to live, compared to how we’re walking. This alone should drive us toward repentance.

(Verses 6-9) Realization #2 – Cleaning my life is something only God can do. It’s not enough to simply say that I’m sorry and then trying my best to do better next time. I must come to the point where I know I will never attain a godly life on my own. I need the power of the Holy Spirit working in me.

(Verses 10-12) Realization #3 – I WANT God to change me. Knowing that I need to change, and wanting it, is a big difference. There are too many believers that cry over their sin on Sunday, and then run back into it the rest of the week. We must cry out for the change that the Lord wants to accomplish in us. Change will only come when we open the door of our heart to the wind of God’s Spirit.

(Verses 13-15) Realization #4 – I must lead others to the point of revival by my example. The sad thing is that we like to wait for someone else to experience it first, before we jump in. It’s getting too late for that. The time is now. We desperately need revival.

“Start the work in me, Lord.”

That should be our attitude.

(Verses 16-17) Realization #5 – God doesn’t want my stuff, He wants me. We sometimes get the idea that it’s about what I can contribute to the Kingdom. It’s not your money, time or resources that God is looking for – He wants you. The Lord knows that if you willingly lay down your life at His feet, then anything else will be freely given.

The rest of the Psalm shows the move from personal to corporate revival. That’s what it’s all about. The only way to a move of God that sweeps through His church, is when He moves in the lives of individuals. The road to revival is an alignment of our attitudes with the Word.

Seek a revival in your soul that will lead to a waking up of God’s people.

Question: What is God seeking to change in your life?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on April 14, 2014 in Revival, The Church

 

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Quartermaster Ministries – April Newsletter

08 Apr

Dedicated to walking in revival!

A New Life Begins

As many of you know, my church is no longer meeting on Sunday mornings. This means that I have now begun a new season in my life.

I took the month of January to pray, fast, and refocus my direction. I want to make sure that my steps are ordered by the Lord.

In February, I began to actively seek speaking engagements. I’ve contacted some pastors who I’m in relationship with and received a very positive response.

Because of church schedules, being what they are, I will probably begin going to churches around May or June. However, I’m available right now. Please pray for me that the doors of ministry will open up soon in these areas.

The unique message of revival that the Lord has given me is needed in our generation. God wants to prepare His people for a new move of His Spirit.

I’ve added a Speaking Page to the website. It explains the scope of my message, as well as my availability and itinerary.

If you want more information about having me speak at your church or group, you can e-mail me at Revzacc@comcast.net .

Prayer for the Ministry

Now that I’m walking in this new adventure, I’m in need of your help.

The first and greatest need is for you to come alongside us in the spirit, and pray for us. Pray for us to be effective in the field God has given us. Pray for doors of opportunity to open up for us to bring this message of revival to those who are ready to receive. Without the power of the Lord at work in us, we will never accomplish our destiny.

My New Book on Kindle

I have always been an avid hiker. I’ve had some of my best times with the Lord along the trail. As I’ve been out in the wild, meditating on the Word, I’ve received some beautiful thoughts from the Lord. That’s the subject of this book.

It contains nine months of daily devotions for hikers on the trail. Nine months is about how long it takes to walk one of the major long distance trails in the USA.

I want it to be easy for hikers to take it on their Pads or Smartphones. Or they can just print off a few pages at a time and use them on shorter trips.

Check it out on Amazon.

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

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will help my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
 
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Posted by on April 8, 2014 in Newsletters

 

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Are We Creating a Church Full of Liars? #praiseandworship

05 Feb

Music SmokeFirst, let me say that I feel privileged that the Lord has me living in this period of history.  We’re at such an exciting time in the body of Christ.  It’s my desire to be at the cutting edge of what the Lord’s doing in His people.

One of the areas I see this, is in praise and worship.  This generation has given rise to worship leaders who reached new heights in their songs and choruses.  Singing some of these new songs opens up my spirit to the deeper work of God in me.

That being said, there’s a negative aspect to this as well.  I’ve found that marginal, shallow believers, singing those same songs, have replaced singing for experience.

Just because I sing, “Jesus, You are everything,” doesn’t necessarily means that it’s true in my life.  The Lord saw this as a problem in Israel.

“What do you think?  There was a man who had two sons.  He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.  He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.  And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
Matthew 21:28-32

The Pharisees that Jesus was talking to looked like they were serving God, but in truth they were after their own agenda.  They needed to be shocked back to reality.

Please understand; I realize that in many instances we need to sing and praise “higher” than our current level.  In our hearts we’re aspiring to a deeper walk in Christ and these songs push us to press in to the manifestation of it.  I have no problem with that.

My concern is over the Christians who are in denial.  They’re living for themselves and think that singing about a powerful walk with God is the same as experiencing it.

Somehow, like in Christ’s ministry, we need to communicate the difference to our people.  This needs to be done with love, sensitivity, and respect.  Then we’ll see the affects that these songs should truly be working in all of God’s people.

Question: What are some praise and worship songs that have caused you to grow in Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on February 5, 2014 in Ministry, Music, The Church

 

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Who’s in Control Here? #submittedtoChrist

02 Sep

RemotesIn my last post I talked about how Christ ministered on a different level than the Pharisees.  The power of God flowed out of Him without His control.  In the case of the woman with the issue of blood, it was even without the Lord’s knowledge.

Now that’s a definite problem for us in modern day Christianity.  We want control.  We want to be able to turn it on and off.  We want people to know who the power came from.

It seems to me that God wants us to be a hose, and we want to be a faucet.  This brings my mind back to a post I wrote months ago.  It was about II Timothy 3:5.

This was the verse in which Paul warned us that in the last days there would be those who had a form of godliness but denied the power.  If you remember, the Greek word for deny was a-rheo – not flowing.

So many people want to control instead of flow.  We cannot have that kind of attitude and be greatly used by God.  We must see ourselves as a channel of the Lord’s power, and not a container.

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases…
Luke 9:1

This is the next logical step in this line of thinking.  Because the power of God flows, it can be given and received.  Jesus was able to give the disciples power because it flowed through Him.  This is good news for us also, because we have the same Holy Spirit living in us that Jesus had within Him.

“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

What a great verse!  Power is given by the Holy Spirit and we can receive it.  This seems a little too simple for our liking.  We try to make it so complicated.  So we have come up with all kinds of laws, disciplines, steps, and rituals that we say are necessary in order to walk in this power.

We have placed tithing, confession, and a whole host of other requirements in people’s path.  But the truth of the matter is that I must abide in Christ.  Then the power will flow through the Holy Spirit to me if I’m in a position to receive it.  It’s actually all about positioning ourselves correctly.  That’s what a majority of my blog is about.

I’m trying to get the church to reposition itself for revival.  That’s where we need to be.  In a position to receive the power of the Holy Spirit the same way that Christ did.  Then, the world will see the difference and be drawn to the Lord.  After all, it’s all about Him, not us.

Question: How would our church look different if we ministered like Jesus?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2013 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival

 

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How God Opened My Eyes to Legalism #legalism

14 Aug

GlassesToday I want to start a new series of posts about how Jesus walked in the power of God.  But, before I do, I want to share a personal testimony about a trial I had to go through in order to receive this truth from the Lord.

Years ago, the church I pastored was running over a hundred on Sunday morning.  The ministry was flourishing and my family was able to obtain a mortgage on our own house.  It was a nice, little home on a quiet street – just what we always wanted.

Suddenly, the bottom dropped out.  My wife lost her job.  The mortgage payments doubled.  Through a series of moves and other events, the congregation went down to about 30 people.  To make a long story short, we went through a bankruptcy, lost the house, and now live in an apartment owned by my parents.

I don’t say all of this so you will feel bad for me.  I don’t regret it.  Many good things came out of it.  One of them was a Word from God.

This was one of the lowest times of my life.  On many occasions I cried out to God asking Him why this was happening to me.  One day, while I was in this state, I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart.  He asked me what my problem was.

As I started asking Him why He allowed my finances to dry up, the Lord asked another question.

“Why should I provide for your finances?”

I was a little taken back by the question, but I was ready with my answers.  I went through all the Scriptures I knew about the promises that God would supply my need.  Malachi 3:10-12, II Corinthians 8-9, Philippians 4:19, and many others.  These Scriptures were why I expected Him to bless my finances.

What the Holy Spirit asked next totally floored me.

“So you’re standing on the law to receive your financial blessing?”

I was speechless.  I sat in silence for over an hour.  I refused to believe that I was legalistic.  But I had no other explanation.

I trusted the Scripture instead of the God of the Scripture.  I was like the Pharisees that Jesus got upset at.

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 5:39-40

The Lord started showing me, on that day, that I had fallen victim to an epidemic in the church.  Many believers are doing everything they can to fulfill the promises.  They’re trying to work for the blessings of God.  If you use the promises in this way, then you’re running on the power of the law.  You’ll never reach the full potential God has for you.

In this new series I want to show how Christ operated – as one submitted to God and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Question: What is your view on the promises of God?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on August 14, 2013 in Legalism, Power of God

 

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Excellence and Prayer Cover #excellence #prayer

02 Aug

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’ve been posting about walking in a ministry of excellence.  There’s another benefit to the walk of excellence that’s not so readily apparent.  This begins when your spirit of excellence starts to become evident to those around you.

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
II Corinthians 9:13-15

As other believers notice that you’re walking in the excellent grace of God, you’ll start to receive the prayer support that you’ve only dreamed of.  This is especially important for those in leadership positions.

Church leaders need to be constantly covered in prayer by those they minister to.  It’s the lack of prayer that contributes to the many who “fall out” of leadership positions every year.

I believe that one of the main reasons that church people aren’t coming together to pray is that most of them don’t see a ministry of excellence worthy of their prayer time.  Those churches that are in the “excellent” category never seem to be without the prayer support that’s so necessary in bringing about the victory.

It’s that spirit of excellence that they see in you that will draw them to “buy into the vision” that God has given you.  It will not happen with a man-sized vision.  They will only throw their support whole-heartedly behind a vision that obviously only God can perform.

The above verse states that first it’s their hearts that respond to the grace they see working in you and your ministry.  Then, after their hearts are affected, their prayers will follow.

So often I have seen leaders and Pastors trying to cajole their people to come together to pray.  That seems to be the big question most churches wrestle with.  Why don’t the people pray?  If they know that it will be business as usual whether they pray or not, then why bother?

This verse makes it clear that nothing less than a spirit of excellence can ignite a spark of heartfelt prayer.  There will be no need to force the people by using the guilt tactics that I see so many pastors wielding today.  On the contrary, people will desire to pray for God to accomplish His will in the ministry.

We need to go after God’s vision for our lives then pursue it with all our hearts.  This will encourage others to become involved and will start the spiritual “snowball” rolling.

Question: How often do you pray for your spiritual leaders?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on August 2, 2013 in Prayer, Spirit of Excellence

 

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Revival and the Anointing #anointing #revival

24 Jul

FireThis is the last post in a series I’m writing about the anointing.  It seems that the church is under the impression that just because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we have the same anointing as Jesus.  Hopefully, based upon my last few posts, you understand why that’s not the case.  We need to seek God’s approval to walk in His power.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

We’re now in a position to understand what Paul was telling Timothy in this verse.  Do your best – be diligent – to present yourself to God as one anointed.  When you’re approved before God there’s no need to be ashamed.

This is a big problem among God’s people in our generation.  We’re full of boldness when we’re in praise and worship.  But on the job or at school it’s a different story.  We keep our faith inside, not wanting to “offend” anyone.  That’s foolishness, since every other group will openly declare what they believe to be true.

It all comes down to power.  I want to say to those I work with, “God loves you.  He will change your life.  He’ll heal you and bless you.”  But I worry that if they let me pray with them, nothing will happen.  Furthermore, I’m not healed and my life isn’t blessed.  What if they ask me about that?  I’d rather just keep quiet and avoid the embarrassment.

The church needs to be on its knees seeking the approval for ministry.  Then, when the anointing is upon us, we will not worry about what the world or our friends think.

I believe that the next great revival will involve the church coming to an understanding of this truth.  But we will have to attain to a certain level of intimacy before the Lord will manifest His anointing in us.  This is probably going to be the hardest move for the church to enter into.

I don’t think it will come as a wave, but as individuals begin paying the price for God’s approval.  Then, they must show up at the place and time of their anointing.  It could be a big or small meeting.  It will not matter as long as it’s God’s appointed place.

Do what it takes to secure your anointing.  Follow the example of Christ.  Seek intimacy with the Father.  Then, as the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart, walk in obedience to His voice.

Question: What could happen if the whole church walked in the anointing of the Lord?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on July 24, 2013 in Anointing, Revival, The Church

 

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Approved for the Anointing #anointing

22 Jul

ApproveI’ve been posting about David’s anointing as king and how it relates to us.  It’s surprisingly similar to what we go through in the church today.

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
1 Samuel 16:13

It’s clear from this verse that the Holy Spirit and power follows the anointing.  That’s what Christ was referring to when He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me BECAUSE He has anointed me.” (Luke 4:18)

I believe that this is a special move of the Holy Spirit to work signs and miracles.  It’s not the same as the Holy Spirit simply being in us because of salvation.  It’s the power of God, present to confirm His word.

If you’ve been following these posts, you may remember I said how little the word “anointing” was used in the New Testament.  If you check it out, except once by Paul, all the usage was Jews writing to Jews.

Paul wrote most of the New Testament to Gentiles.  What would a Greek know about the Hebrew anointing?  Paul wrote to people who had no knowledge of it.  How did he describe it?

To understand it, let’s talk about the priesthood in Israel.  To become a priest, you didn’t just walk up to the temple and say, “I’m a Levite and I want to be a priest.”  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

To be anointed as priest, you had to attend and graduate a school of the law taught by a Rabbi.  Then you had to prove that you’ve memorized the Pentateuch (The first five books of the Bible).  You had to show your family records proving priestly lineage.  Then you would strip and every inch of your body would be inspected by a board of priests who were looking for any defect that would disqualify you.

Only when you had passed every test would you be robed in priestly clothes and the oil of the anointing was poured on your head.  Being in the right family was only the beginning.  It wasn’t until you were tested and approved to be a priest that you could be anointed.

In reality, our spiritual anointing involves being approved by God.  That’s the word Paul used throughout his writings to the Gentiles.  They wouldn’t understand anoint, but approve they could grasp.

The Greek word that Paul used is translated as approve, commend, chosen, or election depending upon the context.  But these words were used by Paul the same way anointing is used in the Old Testament.

What we miss sometimes, is that we can be saved, but not approved to walk in the power of God.  We think that just because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we have the same authority as Christ.  We have to be approved to walk in God’s authority.

That’s the true anointing of power.

Question: What does it take to be approved to walk in the authority of the Holy Spirit?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on July 22, 2013 in Anointing, The Church

 

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The Anointing Dilemma – Position versus Manifestation #anointing #theanointing

19 Jul

Different AnointingIn talking about the anointing that we have in Christ, there’s a subject that needs to be addressed.  I’m getting to the point where I cringe when I hear another sermon or teaching about our position in Christ.

It’s not that I think they’re unscriptural.  Far from it.  I believe that I am “the righteousness of God” in Christ Jesus.  I believe that I am holy, healed, prosperous, and anointed in Christ.

The problem I see is that if all we concentrate on is our position in Christ, we miss out on seeing the manifestation.  I want to live out all the things that Christ paid for me to possess.

One of these is our anointing.  We are all called to an anointing in Christ.  I want to see it manifest in us.  That takes more than just sitting back and confessing it by faith.

For a few posts we have been looking at David’s anointing as king.

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.”
1 Samuel 16:10

Here we can see the problem in some of our teaching on the anointing.  We are all called to an anointing.  The problem is that all of us are called, but few are chosen.  When you talk about walking in the anointing, it involves being chosen by God.

The anointing is not just about calling.  The progression is called, chosen, and anointed.  The simple truth is that you can be called from now until Jesus returns and never see the anointing manifest.

That is, if you never do what it takes to be chosen.

Look at what had to happen in David’s case.

So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”  “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.”  Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
So he sent and had him brought in.  He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.  Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.”
1 Samuel 16:11-12

“I told you, that your whole family needed to be here.”

These words strike anger and resistance into the hearts of God’s people.

“Who are you to tell me that I need to be at these special meetings?”

When your church has a guest speaker and you see that as an opportunity to take the day off – do you know what you’re missing?

“I have something important that needs to be done.”

There are times and places that God may want to meet with you.  Your prayer time, Bible study, a church meeting, or some other “holy appointment” could be a potential encounter with the anointing of the Lord.

God may have a pinpoint anointing for you.  But you have to be at the right place, at the right time, where God has expected to meet with you.  Don’t miss that appointment.

Question: How could this be a source of the lack of power and effect of the church in America?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on July 19, 2013 in Anointing, The Church

 

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The First Move of Restoration #Revivals past

08 Jul

Bible1In my last post, I talked about the church’s descent into the Dark Ages.  It was a horrible time in history.  Many people ask, “How could all this have happened?”  What about all that the Bible teaches?

The bottom line is, that at that time, the Church was the ultimate authority in the life of the believer.  Their teaching was viewed as infallible.  The clergy would not allow the common people own a Bible.

“We’ll explain to you the truth you need to know.”

Around 1300 A.D., it seems that God finally said, “Enough – I’ve got to prepare my bride for my coming.”  The Lord had to rearm his church.  As I look at the flow of history, I see that God was restoring the armor of Ephesians 6.  The bride had to be dressed and ready for the Lord.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
Ephesians 6:14a

First thing that was needed to be restored was the Belt of Truth.  This is what the church desperately hungered for at that time.  We need a foundation of truth.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

I would never have known truth without Scripture.  I need to be taught the principles of God.

It seems that the church was without hope at this time.  The door to heaven was locked and the priests had the only key.

I think that it’s no coincidence that the printing press was invented during this period.  I also believe that it was a direct result of the move of God.  The first book printed with this new technology was the Bible.

The above verse tells me that sometimes I need to be rebuked, to be told when I’m wrong.  It’s how I react that tells whom I serve.  Am I willing to listen to the Holy Spirit and change, or am I hard-hearted and rebellious?

Thus, some of the greatest persecution of God’s people began.  Unfortunately it was not from unbelievers, but from the organized church, itself.

God started moving in the lives of His servants.  It was small at first.  Believers who wanted to read and study the Bible for themselves.

It’s hard for us in the United States to fathom this.  Most Christians have more than one Bible in their home.  We have access in stores and online.  We’re free to read Scripture whenever and wherever we want.

Throughout history this has not always been the case.  In my next post I’ll wrap up this series by recounting some of the precious saints of God who laid down their lives for us to have the abundance of Scripture that we now enjoy.

Question: How much do you appreciate your access to Scripture?  How do you show it?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2013 in Revival, The Church

 

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