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The Place of Clarity

09 Mar

Many people ask how they can get direction and insight from God.  The fact is that God always wants to speak to us; we just need to be in the position of hearing Him.  As we continue in Mark’s Gospel, we’ll see how Jesus heard from the Father.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.  After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
Mark 6:45-46

As I read the Gospels, I find that Jesus loved the mountains.  He went there often to seek solitude and to pray.  I don’t think that the disciples ever realized the importance of this part of the Lord’s ministry until after the resurrection.

There were many times where the best thing for Him to do was to dismiss the crowds and to send away His disciples in order to be alone with the Father.  This was one of those times.  He had just ministered to thousands of people.  That can be very draining no matter who you are.

When the Lord took on flesh and blood, He chose to live as one of us.  Because of this, Jesus was bound by the same physical limitations that we are.  He learned that you can’t just keep giving out to others.  You must also take something in that can recharge your own spiritual batteries.

It was in these mountains of prayer that Jesus was able to renew His Spirit.  He would seek the Father’s face and by the Spirit, hear the plan for the road ahead.  In that way, He could fulfill the work He was called to do without burning Himself out doing it.

How do I know that the Lord would hear from God in this way?  Scripture makes it clear.

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.  He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.
Mark 6:47-48a

I think that we miss the importance of this verse sometimes.  This was a direct communication between the Lord and the Father.

It had gotten dark.  The disciples were a couple of miles away, in a storm, and it was night time.  Yet the Bible clearly says that Jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars.  If it were daylight, He might have seen a tiny dot out on the lake.

This was obviously something shown to Him in the Spirit.  That’s what happens in the place of solitude and prayer in the spirit.

What most people don’t understand about this is that being alone in the presence of God is the mountain of clarity in the spirit.  As a matter of fact, if you read through Scripture, the defining characteristic of mountaintop experiences is clarity of vision.

Jesus had to climb to get there.  It involved work.  It’s the same for us.  It’s not easy setting aside a regular time to seek the Father.  But the rewards are a clear view of the Lord’s plan for our lives.

That needs to be a lesson for us.  If Jesus needed this time with the Father, how much more should we be seeking the presence of the Lord in our daily lives?  Take the time necessary today to renew and refresh yourself in the presence of the Lord.  You’ll be glad you did.

Question: What’s the last thing God showed you when you spent time in His presence?

© 2018 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 9, 2018 in Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk

 

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Clarity – The Result of Worship

20 Mar

ReflectionThis is my final post about the atmosphere of worship surrounding the throne of God in Revelation, chapter 4. I’ve been looking at the gemstones mentioned there.

Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
Revelation 4:6a

This one is a little different than the other gems we looked at. The first three conditions were what brought us to the place of worship. This atmosphere comes from, is created by, our time of worship.

When the word crystal is used we need to understand that it’s a catch-all term for any clear stones. Crystals can be anything from quartz to diamonds. They do have something in common – they’re all clear stones.

Worship brings about an atmosphere of clarity. There’s something about worship that helps you to see clearly.

The reason why is pretty simple. It’s because of who’s there with you in that place.

Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Revelation 4:5b

The original language of this verse says that this is the seven-fold Spirit of God. That’s who you’re spending time with as you worship. Why is the Holy Spirit referred to as the Seven-fold Spirit? I believe that Isaiah was given the answer to this question.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord
Isaiah 11:2

It’s clear that these are the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work in the church. This is how He reveals Himself. Getting to know the Holy Spirit in this light is what worship is all about.

When we spend quality time with the Holy Spirit, we’re with the Author of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and knowledge. Things become clear in His presence. The clouds lift and we start to see our lives and the world around us through the Lord’s eyes.

The problem is that if we don’t maintain this relationship, we start to forget what we’ve seen through Him. Our spiritual vision starts to get hazy.

This is probably why there’s not a lot of deep, intimate worship happening these days. Like any relationship it requires time and commitment. You have to press in to it. The good news is that the rewards are worth the investment.

Over the last few posts we’ve seen that the atmosphere around true worship consists of praise, ownership, holiness, and spiritual clarity. We get into trouble when we only want to cultivate a couple of them. We need them all operating in and through us.

Don’t miss the blessings of God’s Holy Spirit working through you. Create the atmosphere for true worship. Let the presence of God permeate your life.

Question: How has the worship of God changed your life?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on March 20, 2015 in Prayer, Revival, Worship

 

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The Truth about Mountaintops – Clarity

27 Feb

 

ViewIn my last post I talked about how to climb to a spiritual mountaintop. You don’t just magically wake up there one day. You have to be intentional about doing the daily things that you know to do.

Today I want to expose another myth many people have about these spiritual peaks. They usually equate a mountaintop experience as an emotional high – a very happy time. As I said last time, you need to understand the physical to grasp the spiritual.

I’ve climbed many mountains, but I haven’t always been happy when I got to the top. I remember one time in particular when I fell and got a bad sprain on the trail. The only way back to the nearest road required me to continue up and over two mountains.

When I made it to the summit I was tired, hurting and very frustrated. In spite of this, what I found on the top was still the same as always. There’s something that happens that causes you to stop and take it in.

The defining characteristic of a mountaintop is this – clarity. Usually you get an unobstructed 360 degree view that goes on for miles. This is what being on the mountaintop is all about.

It’s the same for the spiritual. As we go through our daily routines, as boring and monotonous as they are sometimes, suddenly the view opens up. We hear from the Holy Spirit. We get a vision of where God is taking us to.

However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

The revelation talked about here is not for those who simply live for themselves with no thought to the spirit walk. God reveals His plan to those who through their daily walk with Christ climb this mountain of revelation. They’re the ones who see God’s plan for their lives.

There is one catch, however. When I stand on a mountaintop I can see the next few mountains that the trail will cross. What I can’t see is the trail itself. In spite of the great view, I don’t know the exact route I’ll take to get there. All I know is that if I stay on the trail, I’ll get to my destiny.

Another plus of mountaintop clarity is that you can see where you came from. There are times when we think that God is taking us the wrong way. But looking back from the peak I can see that there was a lake that I had to go around – that’s why it took so long. It’s always good to realize why God took you the way He did. It inspires faith for the future.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Ephesians 1:17

God’s will is for all believers to live at this level of spiritual insight. This clarity in the spirit is a wonderful thing. Once you’ve experienced it, you don’t want to lose it. So remember, mountaintops are not about being happy, but having a clear vision of where the Lord’s bringing you to.

Question: How clear is your vision of your destiny in Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on February 27, 2015 in Faith, Prayer, Revival

 

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Come Down

12 Jul

II Kings 1:9-10
Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men.  The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!'”
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!”  Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

There is a peace that comes from being on a mountaintop, or even a hilltop.  It seems easier to seek the Lord in these places.  The sights and sounds all combine together to make your spirit more open to God.  Elijah was in such a place.  He realized that the place of prayer was a place of power before God.

Sometimes, in our Christian walk, we experience a spiritual mountaintop.  It is a place where God gives us special clarity about what’s ahead.  It is an intimate place with the Lord and usually we don’t want it to end too quickly.

In this verse the king ordered Elijah to come down from his mountaintop.  He even sent a contingent of soldiers to move Elijah off of his God-given assignment.  Unfortunately for the captain and his men, the power of God worked to remove the distraction from the prophet’s path.

In our daily lives, it is the distractions of society that order us out of the presence of the Lord.  We need to learn to remain on the mountain (at least in our hearts).  If we can continue our focus on the Lord.  Then, even when we must leave the place of prayer, His peace still remains.

Take the time today to find that place of peace with the Lord.  Spend quality time in His presence, then continue to meditate upon Him throughout the day.

 
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Posted by on July 12, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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Mountains and Hills

03 Jun

Psalm 72:3
The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.

I have always thought this was an interesting verse.  It tells us that the mountains will bring God’s people prosperity, the fruit of righteousness.

How can a mountain “bring” anything?  It can’t unless we do something first.  If it is to be an abundant harvest of crops, then the mountainside or hillside must be cultivated, planted, and harvested.  If it is to be a spiritual harvest, then we must climb the mountain by prayer and intimacy with the Lord.  Either way it will require an effort on our part.

The mountain cannot do it alone.  We are expected to initiate the blessing.  People talk about “mountaintop experiences”, but I don’t think they fully understand them.  They think it’s just a happy time in their life.  That’s not quite it. A spiritual mountaintop is a place of clarity in your walk with God.  It is a time when you see that way ahead and have a renewed vision for your destiny.  This is the basis of true prosperity.

Seek out these mountaintop times with the Lord.  Find a quiet time and place to prepare your soul to hear from the Lord.  You can be changed in His life-giving presence.  You can receive a new abundance in your life that you have never known before.

Spend time with the Lord today.  Have a “mountaintop” experience.  Come down from that place refreshed and renewed in your inner man.

 
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Posted by on June 3, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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The Burning Bush – Part 1

30 Mar

Exodus 3:1-3
Now Moses was tending the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.”

This is a very familiar portion of the Word of God.  Every Sunday School student knows about Moses and the burning bush.  Here we see Moses going through the normal routine of an average day.  Then, out of nowhere, God shows up and absolutely revolutionizes his life.

What may surprise you is that God desires us all to have “burning bush” experiences.  We serve a God who always desires fellowship with his children.  If you are listening, there will be times of deep intimacy between you and the Lord.  These are times when you have a special moment with the Lord.

You also need to understand that these times are few and far between.  However, they are times when the Spirit of God speaks to you so clearly that you can almost hear Him with your physical ears.

The important thing to remember is that  we need to keep our eyes open for these times of special clarity in our walk with God.  We cannot afford to miss them – they are life changing.

Spend some time, today, in quiet reverence before the Lord.  Let Him know that you are willing to listen to His voice.  Allow Him to share His heart with yours.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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