I believe that in this generation God is trying to get His children to listen to His voice. He wants them to hear from Him on a daily basis. God is maturing His church. I believe that we are very close to a revival.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
1 Corinthians 13:11
God is bringing us from adolescence to adulthood in the Spirit. In order to attain to this place in Christ we need to “put childish ways behind us.”
By referring to childish ways, I don’t mean these things are bad or wrong. They’re simply things that we needed to progress in our childhood, but no longer need in adulthood. For instance, I needed to ask permission to use the car as a teenager when I lived at home. Now I have my own car, and I can use it whenever I want. There was nothing wrong with asking permission, but that phase of my life is now over.
The church is progressing through the training levels God has for us. As this happens, there are some things that worked for a season, but are not needed in our maturity. I want to take a few posts to talk about this maturing process. As I go through the teaching of Scripture, we will see some of these temporary principles.
What I’m afraid of, is that there are some who are so attached to the things of our childhood, that they will not want to release them and embrace adulthood in the Lord. With that in mind, please read with an open mind and an open heart. Receive those things that are Scriptural and of the Spirit. And, if there are any things that I have put in from the flesh – with no Scriptural foundation – then you have my permission to lay them aside.
God is bringing His church back to a deeper walk in the Spirit. At this point in history it seems that we do so much by the flesh. The winds of change are blowing. It’s time for us to start operating in the new move of the Spirit. The foundation for this is the Word of God.
Paul told Timothy that we need to “correctly handle the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) In order to correctly handle something, you need to know what it really is. In the next few posts we will look at what the Word of God is and what it isn’t.
I think some of the words of Christ will surprise you. In reality, the church has been guilty of using things that are not the Word of God as if they were. It’s time for us to get back on track.
Question: Do you think the church is ready for revival? Are you ready?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: adulthood, childish things, childish ways, church, deeper walk, grow up, growing up in the word of God, hear God, mature, maturity, put away childish things, revival, voice of God, word, word of God
I have been posting about the weeding that God will do in His kingdom during the last days. It’s recorded in Matthew 13:24-41. You can read my last few posts to see how the Lord will do this weeding.
The two things weeded out will be everything that causes sin and all who do evil. Along these same lines, Jesus makes a sobering statement in Matthew 18. I am convinced that most believers are unaware of what He meant when He said it. It’s usually taken out of context.
“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
Matthew 18:7-9
Whenever I’ve heard this Scripture preached, the message was always about personal sin. I’ve heard it taught, “It would be better to cut your hand off, than to continue in sin.” While sin does have the power to ruin your life, Jesus was speaking of something deeper here.
Notice the context. He wasn’t talking about physical body parts that cause sin. The Lord referred to the man through whom they come.
I can see countless examples of when my own hands, feet and eyes have participated in my sin. Yet, I cannot honestly say that the sin was initiated by that part of my body. Sin has always been conceived and planned out by my own will. My body had no choice but to follow my decision into sin.
Jesus knows that it’s not the body that initiates the sin. He’s talking about people who cause sin. When the Lord uses the term hand, foot, and eye, I’m convinced by the larger context of His teaching that He’s talking about His attitude toward His body – the Church.
Only in the Body of Christ can a member cause the body to sin. Please be warned. You may think that your role in the church is as indispensable as a hand or a foot. But, if you’re offending the body, the Lord has no qualms about losing a member to save the body.
Jesus is very serious about dealing with those who cause offense. This is one of the things we are going to see being weeded out of the church by God in the last days. As a matter of fact, I think that we’re already beginning to experience God’s cleansing process.
Make sure that your faith is bringing health to the body of Christ.
Question: What can you do to make the church a better place?
© Nick Zaccardi 1013
Tags: body of Christ, cause sin, Christ, church, cleansing, do evil, God serious about weeding, God's cleansing process, Jesus, kingdom of God, member, offend, offending the body, personal sin, the last days
The Olympics are quickly approaching. Are you going to watch it? If so, what excites you about it?
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
One of the biggest things about the Olympics, that draws us in, is that it only happens every 4 years. For many athletes it is a once in a lifetime chance to show what they’re capable of accomplishing. It is this all or nothing, “go for the gold” attitude that brings fans to their feet in applause for the victors.
I have never heard any competitor say, “I just wanted to run on the Olympic track. That’s good enough for me. I don’t need to give my best.” That would be the craziest thing ever. No one would want to watch that athlete.
Yet, in the Christian walk, how often do we see this attitude.
“I’m saved and going to Heaven. That’s good enough for me.”
These believers will go to church on Sunday. But they don’t want to inconvenience themselves for God or His work. There is no passion in their walk. There is no drive or vision for what the Lord can do in and through them.
We need to take inventory of ourselves. What kind of a runner am I? Am I content to just sit back and let others win the prize? Or do I want to give it everything I have within me?
We need to pick up the “Olympic spirit” in our spiritual walk. Go for the gold. Let the Holy Spirit inspire you to accomplish great things for God. Through Him, we can do above and beyond all we could ever imagine that we could do. Be that victorious believer, who runs the race from a heart on fire for Christ.
Tags: athlete, Bible, calling, Christian, church, destiny, devotion, drive, encouragement, go for the gold, God's will, higher, Holy Spirit, Olympics, overcoming, passion, power, prepare, prize, runner, spiritual walk, strength, take inventory, victory, vision
Mark 16:12-13
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples at various times and in different ways. In this verse He shows up as a man walking in the country. He wanted to meet with these disciples in a quiet, unhurried setting.
Please realize that as you go through your daily routine, Christ can appear at any time. By His Spirit He speaks, guides, clarifies and corrects. You need to be expecting to hear from Him.
When the disciples returned from their trip, no one believed that they had seen Christ. Even today it is hard for some to think that you can meet with with Christ during the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They think you have to be in a church or in your “prayer closet” for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. The simple fact is, the Lord will show up anyplace there is a listening heart.
Listen for His voice today. We know that He will be found by those who earnestly seek Him. Do what it takes to quiet yourself before Him. That is how you prepare yourself to hear from the Lord.
Spend time in His presence as you walk out your day. Let Him guide you by His hand. Keep your spiritual ears open to His Word for you.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, church, daily routine, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, listening heart, prayer closet, prepare, presence of the lord, resurrection
Abraham was an intercessor. He was concerned about people he didn’t even know. The following passage takes place when the Lord told Abraham about His plans to judge the cities around Sodom.
Genesis 18:22-24
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?”
There was a Bible scholar, Dr, Joseph Parker, who had some insightful things to say about the intercession of Abraham. He made four observations (I will put them in bold type) that I think are very applicable to the church today.
1. “God holds inquest upon the moral conditions of cities.” I believe that even though we, as individuals, live under grace, God treats cities and nations differently. Many times a city will sow injustice and reap disaster. That’s why I call all believers to pray for the USA. As a nation we cannot keep telling God to keep out, and then expect Him to protect us from catastrophe.
2. “God is accessible to earnest human appeal.” That is the basis of intercession. We need to be spending quality time in prayer for our families, friends, neighbors, and officials. That’s when we see the miraculous happen. When God’s people join with God in His work.
3. “The few can serve the many.” Sure, there are very few Christians that take the call to prayer seriously. Just look at the difference in attendance between a church dinner and a prayer meeting. The fact is, it doesn’t take a lot. God only looks for a few committed intercessors who are willing to “stand in the gap” for those around them.
4. “Human prayers fall below Divine resources.” One thing I know beyond a doubt – our prayers never even scratch the surface of God’s ability. From our perspective the task looks so daunting. The problem seems insurmountable. Yet to God, it is a simple thing for Him. He specializes in the impossible. Our prayers don’t even come close to challenging Him.
Answer the call to intercession. Our cities and nation are in desperate need of a move of God. Be on the cutting edge of the Lord’s work. Cry out to Him and see His power manifest in our lifetime.
Tags: Abraham, Bible, calling, Christian, church, devotion, disciple, encouragement, God's will, intercession, intercessor, intimacy, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, Sodom, sowing and reaping, victory
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
There are some blogs that I really enjoy reading. This one I just had to copy.
The following is reblogged from Truth Pressure. Originally Posted 4-30-2012
Self discovery is a powerful thing. Finding out who you are in Christ is THE most powerful revelation you can attain after salvation.
Most of the Apostle Paul’s writings were focused on helping believers understand who they are in Christ.
In Christ you have been repositioned, relabeled, renamed, re-categorized, and redeemed. You have a new family, a new status, a new nature, a new purpose, and a new destiny. You have a new heritage, a new identity, with new rights, new power, new authority, and new responsibilities. The old is passed away, and all things are new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The New Testament reveals the model of who we are supposed to be, what a living church should look like, and yet, if you search the earth you find very few bodies of believers living up to that model. Why? I believe that it stems from an identity crisis.
We, the church, don’t really know who we are. We don’t understand our heritage and the royal bloodline that we were birthed into when we made Jesus the Lord of our life. Jesus emptied himself of all His kingly privilege and power and LIVED HIS LIFE for us … then he GAVE HIS LIFE for us. Now He wants to live His life through us as the KING of KINGS!
We must awaken to the marvelous truth, that Christ is not in the heavens only, seated at the right hand of the Father, but Christ is in us. Our main function in this life is to manifest Christ to the world in all His glory. It is Christ’s body that validates Christ to the world. Without His body reigning in life as a king the world will be limited to only hearing about Christ instead of experiencing Him. There must be a SHOWING FORTH as well as a TELLING ABOUT. To Show Forth the kingdom we must function in the authority that has been given us.
1 Peter 2:9 ~ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Romans 5:17 ~ For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Revelation 5:10 ~ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 1:6 ~ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The life that Christ lived qualified Him for the death that He died …. and the death that He died qualifies us for the life we now live … as Kings and Priests unto our God. Are you living like a King, with a King’s authority and resources? That is available to YOU AND I.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, in Christ, Jesus Christ, kings and priests, new creature, overcoming, self discovery, testimony, victory
1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Paul’s words to us are very clear. When it comes to power in the kingdom of God, we better do more than just talk. The problem is that most of what is called power in the kingdom today is just that – talk. The first step toward walking in the power of God is to understand what true power is all about.
Let’s start by looking at things from a natural perspective. When we talk about “power” it is usually in the context of electrical power. We use phrases like power lines, power plant, and power outages. We think of electricity as being a form of power. This can help us to understand spiritual power.
Very simply put, the definition of power is the same whether you’re talking about electricity coming into your house, or the power of God to heal the sick. The International Edition of the Webster Comprehensive Dictionary defines it in the following way:
“Power is the ability to act. It is the property of a thing that is manifested in effort or action, by virtue of which that thing produces change.”
Let me boil it down for you. True power is the ability to produce change. That’s the key word. It takes power to transform water at room temperature into hot water for a cup of tea. It takes power to get a one-ton car to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour. It takes power to transform a body from sickness to health. It takes power to change a liar into a saint. It take power to replace guilt with innocence.
If we understand this correctly, then the verse above should bring new understanding. It’s our assignment in the Kingdom of God to produce change. It’s not about how well you can speak about it. Change is the priority. Is the church producing change?
You have to remember that this passage was written when Christians were the people who were “turning the world upside down”. In light of this, how powerful is the kingdom of God today? In order to answer that we must ask, how much change is being produced in the church today? The unfortunate answer is – not much. In most churches around the country not many are being healed, set free from sins, or seeing great growth in their spiritual lives. It seems that we have become masters of talking as if there’s power in our lives.
We say things like, “That was a powerful message.” Or, “We had a powerful service last night.” I have also heard, “She has a powerful anointing to sing.” Speaking of singing, one of the biggest areas in which we fall short is in our songs. We come to church on Sunday mornings and sing a host of songs about the power of God. Then we sit back and think that because we just sang about it, somehow that means we are walking in it. What I have found in actuality is that most of our “power” is usually just words.
If no one leaves the service changed, then there was no power manifested in the service. There are plenty of unsaved actors and singers that can evoke an incredible emotional response from their audience, but that’s not power. People weeping during the service is no indication of any power. We have learned to cover over our powerlessness by calling emotionalism power. The bottom line is – no matter how many people wept, no matter how many chills ran down your spine, no matter how many people were slain in the spirit – if no one was changed, then there was no power.
Do you want to walk in the true power of God? Then you need to stop talking about it, and admit your lack – if that is the case. We need a true, Biblical knowledge of what it is and how to use it. We need to seek God for a touch from His hand. That’s where true change – true power – originates from.
Tags: ability, Bible, Christian, church, devotion, electricity, emotions, encouragement, faith, glory, God's faithfulness, God's power, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, overcoming, power, powerful, producing change, strength, talk, victory
A lot of people are going to churches to “worship” today. How much of it is truly worship? What is worship?
Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.
There is a chorus by Hillsong –
“Standing here, in Your presence, thinking of the good things You have done.
Waiting here, patiently, just to here Your still small voice again.
Holy, righteous, faithful til the end, Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and Friend.
I will worship you for who You are, I will worship you for who You are, I will worship you for who You are – Jesus!”
This is the essence of worship. Not clapping, shouting, preaching or praying. It is simply standing in the presence of a holy God and acknowledging who He is. Most of the time worship is done in silence.
Praise is public and exciting. Worship is one on one with the God of the universe. It is where I humble myself before Him and offer Him the glory that is due Him. The Greek word used for worship in the New Testament literally means to lean forward like you do when you are about to kiss someone.
It is a time of intimacy with God. Worship is coming into the presence of God, and meeting with Him spirit to Spirit. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo, Sunday morning experience. Press into that intimate place with God. Truly enter the spirit of worship and let your inner man find the fulfillment you were created for.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's love, Hillsong, holy God, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, Sunday morning
Joshua 14:10-12
“Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
You would think some young soldier spoke these words. The hill country of Israel is rough terrain. It was especially tough because they had to battle fierce giants for the possession of it. But Caleb, the man who spoke up, was 85 years old. That’s not the perception we usually have of “Senior Citizens.”
I am glad that there is no age limit in the Kingdom of God. We need to see that we will not be put out to pasture when we reach a certain age. God can and does use anyone who is willing – no matter their age, background, or weaknesses.
This is a great principle to lay hold of. It does give us some responsibilities, however. Knowing that we are useful to God throughout our entire lives, we must harden our faith now. We must be prepared so that when we reach our elder years, we will continue on spiritually stronger than when we started.
Take the time this day to establish the path of your life in the direction God has for you. Commit your future to the Lord and purpose in your heart to finish the race strong. If you’re already an elder in the body of Christ, don’t look at yourself as a has been. The type of work that you do for the Lord may change, but you are still a vital part of the Kingdom of God.
Tags: age limit, Bible, calling, Christian, church, devotion, disciple, elder, elderly, encouragement, faith, faithful, God's faithfulness, God's will, later years, mountain, overcoming, prepare, senior citizen, strength, useful
John 5:17-18
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus and the Pharisees had a hard time getting along. They were the “religious bunch” in Israel at that time. Jesus didn’t seem to tolerate religious people too well. That gets me thinking about the church today. When you talk to some people, they think that being religious is a plus. I wonder how they would feel if they ever met Jesus in person.
In this section of Scripture, persecution is starting to arise because of the things Jesus is saying and doing. The Pharisees don’t like the way Jesus is ignoring their religious traditions. Among other things, He’s healing on the Sabbath. To make matters worse, the Lord makes an announcement that really starts them grumbling. He actually calls God His Father.
The Pharisees were always having a problem with what the Lord said and did. They didn’t like the fact that Jesus made himself out to be God in the flesh. According to Scripture, that’s who the Messiah was meant to be. He couldn’t lie about who He was. Of course, this didn’t sit well with the Pharisees, who enjoyed the esteem and praise of the people. They didn’t want to hear who the Lord was, because it meant that they’d have to submit their will to His.
It seems that religion always gets in the way of a relationship with Christ. We need to step back and take a good look at how we view our connection with God. Do we see it as a set of rules that need to be followed. Or is it about time and intimacy spent with the Lord. Don’t become like the Pharisees. Cultivate the living relationship that Christ wants to have with each of His followers.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, God the Father, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, Messiah, Pharisees, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, relationship, religion, religious, rules, Sabbath, Scripture
I believe that in this generation God is trying to get His children to listen to His voice. He wants them to hear from Him on a daily basis. God is maturing His church. I believe that we are very close to a revival.
The Spirit and the Word 