It’s a new day! God is doing new things with me!
This is the first of monthly newsletters that I’m starting today. My goal is that it will come out the beginning of each month, on a Tuesday or Thursday.
This is to update everyone on what’s happening in the ministry. I expect new things to be taking place on a regular basis.
First off…
I have joined the Twitter community!
You can follow me @RevNickZacc. Hopefully, it will encourage you with short thoughts throughout the day. Sometimes I’ll retweet things that are encouraging me. Also, you’ll find that I’m starting to use # in my titles, since they’ll be posted on Twitter as they are released. (They are also posted to Facebook and LinkedIn)
Speaking at Churches
I feel the Holy Spirit pushing me to get out and do more speaking (outside my home church). I feel a need for the body of Christ to be prepared for the coming revival. The Lord has blessed me with insight into how we should be getting ready and what to be ready for. Because of this I have a spiritual pressure in me, that won’t let me keep it to myself. So as these opportunities open up, I’ll start posting my schedule as to when and where these events will be.
Prayer
As a result of all of this…I ask you to pray. Pray with me for revival to rock the church in the USA. Pray for the lost to hear the clear message of hope in Jesus Christ. Pray for me to faithfully follow the course God has for me. I’ll pray for you, the followers of this ministry, that you would experience the highest and best God has for you in Christ.
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
Tags: body of Christ, Christ, get ready, God, Holy Spirit, insight, Jesus, Lord, move of God, news, newsletter, prayer, prepare, Quartermaster Ministries, revival, spiritual pressure
As I was reading the Bible the other day, I came across a Scripture that caught my attention. It was describing Christ and how He was revealed to the world. It got me thinking about our relationship to God.
…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:4
Jesus Christ was shown to be the Son of God. Not just by someone’s testimony. It was an act of power by God raising Him from the dead.
That in itself was not news to me. The part that really spoke to my heart was who did the declaring. The passage says that it was through the Spirit of holiness that He was shown to be the Son of God.
That’s what I found to be interesting – the Spirit of holiness. Why did Paul not call Him the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that the more common term? Actually, this is the only place in Scripture where He’s called the Spirit of holiness.
Holiness is something that this generation of believers really needs to come to grips with. It seems that we tend to back away from any mention of holiness. We find it boring and old fashioned.
This is a subject of great importance in the Bible. It’s found throughout the New Testament. We are to be a holy people before God.
Holiness is related to separation. It means to be set apart for God’s purpose.
It’s like this. When Christ found us, we were like a dirty, cast off piece of pottery in the trash heap of the world. When we turned to Him as our Lord and Savior, He rescued us from that place – that’s our salvation.
He then took us as His own and placed us on display in His household. We are now to be exclusively used for the Lord’s purposes. That’s holiness.
As we remain in His house, Christ continues to clean us up and restore us. That’s our sanctification.
By using the term Holy Spirit, we mean the Spirit of God who is set apart from the world and the things of the world. The phrase Spirit of holiness brings it to a whole other realm.
He’s not only the Spirit who is set apart – but the Spirit who sets us apart. He is the Spirit of God who makes us holy. That’s where we try to water down the truth.
We like to think of the Holy Spirit as the power source of the church. Miracles, healings, signs, and wonders always draw a crowd. But separation, on the other hand, sounds too much like commitment.
This generation seems to want the power without the holiness. I believe that it’s time for us to seek the Spirit of holiness. At the place where we are separated for God’s exclusive use, we will find all the power we need to live victoriously and win the lost.
Question: Have you seen examples of the Holy Spirit setting you apart for His use?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, commitment, exclusive use, God, God's purpose, holiness, holy people, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, makes us holy, power of God, relationship with God, resurrection, savior, separation, set apart, Son of God, Spirit of holiness, the world
We’ve been looking at Abraham’s example of what it takes to be in position to receive God’s blessing. The big question remains. How far are we willing to walk with God down this road of faith that He chooses for us?
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
Genesis 22:9-10
In this remote setting it would have been very easy for Abraham to have chosen differently. He could have taken Isaac with him, and left the area. Yet, he made the choice to follow God’s instructions no matter how painful they were to him.
It’s easy for us to look back and say, “Of course he trusted God.” We have the completed Bible to refer to. We have a knowledge of how the story ended. We know now that God never asks for human sacrifice.
There’s no way that we could ever fathom what it was like to be Abraham at that moment. All he knew was that he was about to take the life of the most precious person in the world to him.
When I see how far Abraham trusted God, it begs the question, how far am I willing to let my faith take me? How much am I willing to give up based solely upon God’s Word?
I think that this generation of believers are more like the rich young man who came to Jesus. The Lord told him to give up everything and come and follow Him.
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Matthew 19:22
In our society, this call is commonplace. Athletes are told to “leave it all out on the field.” In entertainment competitions they are told to hold nothing back.
Why do we get the idea that Christ is asking too much of us by saying that we must lay our lives down to follow Him? It’s only when I come to the place of total surrender at the feet of the Lord that I’m in the position to receive the strength and blessing that comes from His hand. Jesus held nothing back for our sakes, and now we must follow in His footsteps.
This may not sound like your typical “Six Steps to Prosperity” message. It wasn’t meant to. I’m not looking for the wealth it takes to fulfill my every whim. I want to see the provision I need to fulfill God’s destiny in me. I want to see and experience revival in God’s people.
It’s time for us to lay everything down before the Lord. If you can’t do this, then pray for the strength it takes to get to this point. Then watch what God will do on your behalf.
Question: What things would be the hardest for you to give up if the Lord asked you to?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, choices, faith, follow Christ, follow God, God, God's blessing, God's destiny, God's word, hold nothing back, how far can you trust God, Isaac, lay down our lives, leave it all on the field, provision, revival, rich young ruler, road of faith, total surrender, trust, willing, willing to give up
I’ve been talking about Abraham’s example to us in receiving God’s blessing and provision. In my last post I said that we needed to speak what we believe from our heart. This is important because it’s usually our speaking that gets us in the most trouble.
Listen to the exchange that took place as Abraham was taking Isaac up the mountain. All Abraham knew at this point was that God was asking him to offer Isaac up as a sacrifice.
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
Genesis 22:7-8
I can only imagine how much pain this question caused Abraham. I believe that there was a long pause while Abraham thought about how he could answer the boy. It amazes me how simply the answer was formed.
In spite of his confusion, and without anger or bitterness toward God, he spoke the truth in faith and love. This is a lesson we need to take to heart.
So many times we speak without thinking. We especially run into trouble when we talk from the hurt and anguish we’re experiencing. We say many things that we wish we could take back.
That’s why one of the secrets to positioning ourselves to receive God’s blessing is to watch what we say when we’re hurting. James understood this truth.
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:5-6
James is looking at this from a negative perspective. Controlled by the spirit, the tongue can set your life on course for God’s blessing. Controlling the tongue is one of the hardest things we’re called to do, yet it’s one of the most important. What we say can set the emotional foundation for our eventual success or failure.
How we speak, especially in times of confusion and pain, will have a lasting effect on both us and those around us. Is what you’re saying building up or tearing down God’s work?
We must choose to keep a watch over our tongues. If needed, we can go to the Lord in repentance for things that may have been said in hurt or anger. We can ask for His strength to take control of this unruly member of our body.
If we will spend time in the Lord’s presence and meditate upon His Word, then there will be a greater chance that truth and love will come out during stressful times.
Question: When have your words either helped or hurt the situation you were in?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, anger, believe, bitterness, building up, controlled by the spirit, faith, God, God's blessing, God's work, is your tongue your problem, Isaac, mouth, pain, position, provision, receiving, sacrifice, speaking without thinking, tearing down, tongue, words
In my last post I started a series about God as our Provider – Jehovah Jireh. I’m using Abraham’s experience on the mountain of sacrifice as our example.
Before Abraham ever called God by this name, the Lord asked him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. It was Abraham’s response that floored me.
Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Genesis 22:3
I don’t know what time of day God spoke to Abraham about taking his son to the mountain of sacrifice. But what strikes me the hardest is the fact that immediately – early in the morning – the next day, he was ready to travel.
If I were asked to give up a child, I could find so many excuses to put it off. I would want to spend some time with him. Maybe even throw him a going away party so his friends could say goodbye. I might spend nights in prayer so that I could get a “confirmation” that God really said what He said.
I remember when my middle daughter, Sarah, went away to a ministry internship in Texas. Even knowing that I would see her again from time to time it was hard to let her go. I can’t even imagine what Abraham was going through internally. I don’t know that I could have gone through with it.
Unlike me, Abraham did just what God had asked him to do. Not only did He respond positively, but he did it immediately when he was asked to do it. This is the secret to persevering under testing. We must be quick to obey God.
I have talked to so many people who have told me things like, “I know God wants me to do this, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Too often the things that God asks of us get put on the back burner. We are waiting until our goals are finished.
So often we like to put the teachings of Scripture into little bubbles. When we talk about God’s provision, we only want hear about how to tap into God’s supply.
Obedience is in a different bubble. That’s one we don’t want to hear about very often. In the life of Abraham we learn that everything is interconnected. How well I tap into God’s supply is dependent upon my level of obedience.
Don’t fall into the “bubble” trap. Review your life. Is there something you’re neglecting that you know is God’s plan for you. Repent of your inaction. Spend time with Him and commit yourself to His desire for you.
This could very well release a blessing that has been stalled out for a while.
Question: Is there something God wants you to do that you’ve been slow to obey?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, back burner, God, God our Provider, God's provision, God's supply, immediate, immediate obedience, Isaac, Jehovah Jireh, link between obedience and provision, mountain of sacrifice, obedience, obey quickly, provider, provision
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…
Romans 1:1
Paul uses some interesting language in this verse. He calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ – literally a slave. It’s interesting, because on various occasions Paul made a point of proving his freedom.
Once he was arrested and he asked the guard why he was being denied his right to a trial as a Roman citizen. The guard explained that he, personally, had to buy his freedom. Paul, on the other hand, said that he was born a free Roman citizen.
At that time, if you were born a slave, you were expected to be a slave forever – there was no escaping it. Under Roman law, a slave could find out his “sale price” from his master. Then, if he saved enough money, he could pay the buying price to and have the ownership transferred to one of the many Roman gods. Then, as a slave to that god, could serve as a free man.
I believe this was in the back of Paul’s mind as he penned these words. We are all born under slavery to sin. That was our unfortunate lot for the rest of our lives.
Jesus Christ paid the “slave price” for us. Now, just as Paul did, we need to transfer the ownership of our lives over to God. As God’s slaves we can now serve as free citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.
We have to live under this knowledge if we are to have a fulfilling life in Christ. We don’t own our lives.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5-8
Christ, Himself, set the standard of living that we need to follow. He said that He came to live a life of service. That should be our attitude as well.
The Apostle Peter understood this truth.
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
1 Peter 2:16
In the first verse above, Paul said that as a slave, he was called to be sent forth as an apostle. Once we’ve transferred the ownership of our lives to God, our callings will open up to us. We are now free to serve Him to the best of our ability.
Paul finished off the verse by saying that he was set apart to the Good News. That literally means that we are set off by a boundary. The Good News is our field of service.
This is the attitude that will push you to great things in the body of Christ.
Question: Have you transferred the ownership rights of your life to the Lord?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: calling, Christ, citizens of heaven, freedom, God, Jesus, life of service, ownership, ownership of our lives, servant, servant of Jesus Christ, service, set apart, slave, slavery to sin, tranferred ownership
In my last post I shared that when I decided to tithe in order for God to rebuke the devourer, I was appealing to the law for my financial blessing. Through the gentle leading of the Spirit, I came to the realization that I had placed myself under the commandment. I now understand that trying to fulfill the requirements of the promises is a form of legalism.
What I forgot was this:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 2:10
By placing my hope in keeping the tithe law, I was missing the rest of the puzzle. Here’s what I had neglected. The passage in Malachi showed me the conditions to rebuke the devourer. But there are 20 other verses that deal with things I can do that allows the devourer to get my stuff.
They talk about everything from hiring prostitutes to neglecting the needs of the church. So in effect, when I tithed, God rebuked the devourer. Then, if I neglected the church, I was calling the devourer back so he could continue his work.
Now, don’t get ahead of me. This is a dangerous point to only have half of the truth. You need the whole truth, if you’re going to walk in the power of God. At this point I’m still dealing with the first half. You must read all the blogs in this series to get the whole picture.
I became more and more aware of the fact that trying to fulfill the requirements of the promises actually puts me under the law. So I did a study of promises in the New Testament to see how they’re used under the New Covenant.
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20
I was surprised at what the Scripture had to say. Nowhere did I find it taught that we have to fulfill the requirements. As a matter, of fact it was just the opposite. The reason for this is the finished work of Christ on the cross. He even told us that was why He came to the earth.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Matthew 5:17
In this statement, Jesus tells us the whole foundation for walking in the blessings of the Word. Part of His work was to fulfill everything written in the Old Covenant.
The word, fulfill means to cram full, to fill in the holes. All of the open-ended requirements needed to “claim” the promises have been filled in by Christ.
This means that we are exempt from the requirements, unless we voluntarily place ourselves under the law. In that case, the kingdom of the enemy has the right to use its power against us on the same level.
Question: What promises have you turned into laws in your life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: appealing to the law, Christ, cross, devourer, finished work of Christ, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, legalism, legalism and the promises, legalistic, promises, promises of God, rebuke the devourer, requirements, spirit, standing on the promises, tithe law, tithing
In my last post, I looked at Paul’s question – How does God give His Spirit and work power in the church? This question is the difference between all other religions and Christianity.
Think about it. In the book of Acts, the early church had no phones, radio, New Testament Scripture, or anything like the resources and knowledge we have today. Yet they walked in the power of God that’s unrivaled in our modern generation.
As I thought about it, I also realized that my grandparents couldn’t read and had no formal education to speak of. Yet there was an incredible manifestation of the power of God in their lives – what happened?
Let me say something now, for shock value, that I’ll explain more fully in a later post. It was when the church started teaching about the promises we began to lose the power.
Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
Romans 7:9-10
This verse is very clear. God saved me apart from the law when I trusted the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through this finished work I was made alive apart from the law. Then the commandment came, which the Scripture says is the power of sin (I Corinthians 15:56). When this happens, death begins its work in me.
Let me explain how God used this truth to minister to me. One day, as I was driving, praying, and meditating upon the Word, the Holy Spirit started to speak to me. I had been going through a rough time financially.
I had done everything that I knew to do. I had stood on all I’d been taught about prayers and confessions. I’ve always been a tither. I always remind the Lord what His Word says and that I’m standing on His promises.
At this point in my life I clearly heard God speak to my heart and ask me, “What are you basing your expectation on?” Immediately my thoughts turned to the Scripture. I’m basing my hope in the Word that tells me to tithe. If I’ll tithe, then You will rebuke the devourer and open the windows of Heaven. I give special offerings when You lead me to, so that I’ll receive the blessings of the seed of faith.
The Lord then asked me a question that floored me. He said, “So you’re basing your expectation upon the law?” I was speechless. I had no response to this. On the inside I felt like defending and justifying my actions. But deep down I knew that the Lord had hit upon the very root of the problem, even though at that point I had no clue how to get out of it.
I came to the realization that I had placed myself under the commandment. Trying to fulfill the requirements of the promises is a form of legalism.
Question: Are there Scriptural promises that you find yourself legalistic about?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, church, commandment, finished work of Christ, God, God exposed my legalism, Holy Spirit, Jesus, law, legalism, legalistic, manifestation, miracles, power, promises, promises of God, Scripture, Spirit of God, standing on the promises, the law
How far into the realm of the excellent are you venturing? In my last post I looked at a sobering statement that Jesus made to His disciples.
“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”
Luke 17:10
If all you’re doing in your life and ministry are the things you’re supposed to do, then you’re unprofitable in the kingdom of God, according to the Lord. There are always things that we must do or that we’re expected to do.
The word unworthy is derived from a Greek word that means, not ought. The thought is that you are not what you ought to be. To break into the realm of the excellent you must break through the “musts” and enter into the “oughts.”
Those who are not only doing what they have to do, but have found a way to do what they ought to do, are considered to be walking in the excellent. When a person goes beyond the expected in his or her walk with the Lord we marvel at their spirit of excellence.
What does that mean to me? I must stop saying, “I ought to have…”, “I ought to do…”, or “I ought to be…” then with the next breath say, “But I have so much I need to do; I can’t.” When you develop the spirit of excellence, the Holy Spirit is now free to work in you to accomplish what wasn’t expected.
As excellence starts its work in you, you can tap into God’s “excellent power,” His “excellent grace,” and His “excellent love.” You’ll find out that God has all the resources you need to fulfill the call to excellence that He’s placed inside of you.
In II Corinthians 12:7, Paul talks about being the recipient of excellent revelations. He would not have received these had he not been walking in excellence. Galatians 1:13 says that before he was saved, Paul excelled at persecuting the church.
Everyone else was persecuting Christians in the normal way. Paul, however, went above and beyond the call of duty. He dragged people out of their homes, and if they tried to move away, he even tracked them to other towns. Once saved, He carried over this same spirit of excellence into his work for Christ. That’s why the Holy Spirit entrusted him with all the revelation that he received from the Lord.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
II Corinthians 4:7
The word all-surpassing is the Greek word hyperballo – excellent. This excellent power does not come from our own strength. Don’t ever take the credit for the excellence in your ministry. The glory belongs to God.
Walking in the spirit of excellence is one of the earmarks of the power of God in your life, showing that you hear from God and are obeying His voice.
Question: What are some of the marks of God’s excellence in your life and ministry?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: beyond the expected, Christ, disciple, excellence, excellence from musts to oughts, excellent, expected, glory of God, God, Jesus, life and ministry, Lord, ministry, must, ought, power of God, profitable, spirit of excellence, unprofitable, unworthy, walking in excellence
Many Christians want to hear Christ say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But do we really know what Jesus looks for in a servant? Listen to what He tells His disciples.
“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”
Luke 17:7-10
Christ shows us a servant, working in the fields. He comes home tired and hungry. Just as he sits down to eat with his family, he hears the master arrive.
Does he have the luxury of finishing his meal first? Of course not. He must immediately get up and tend to the needs of his master. That’s the life of a servant.
After he has served, he can go back to his meal. After all he did, does he now expect a bonus? No, he’s only done what’s normally expected of a person in his position.
God expects more from us than we expect from ourselves. In the verse above, the Lord asks a very fearful question. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I tremble at the implications.
Should you, as a servant, do as you’re told and then expect to be thanked? The word thanked means to be blessed, tipped or given a special reward. Actually, a servant is supposed to do what he or she is told.
If all we do in your ministry is what’s expected or normal for our kind of ministry, then we’re not operating in the excellent. As a matter of fact, Jesus calls us unworthy servants, meaning unprofitable.
In a business, profit is that which goes beyond the “break even” mark. Therefore, by definition, profit is in the realm of the excellent.
Many believers are content to sit in a pew. They feel secure that they’re just like everyone else. They’re comfortable in their mediocrity. I find that even in ministry, many pastors and evangelists are content to plug along doing what’s expected of someone with their title.
They do all the necessary things – preaching, praying for the sick, visiting, etc. Then they pray and expect God to increase their level of anointing based upon the principle that they’re breaking even. They never realize that their work doesn’t impress God. More than that, He considers it unprofitable and unworthy of His excellent Name.
Christ is looking for excellence in His servants. We need to raise our vision of what we’re doing for the Lord.
Question: How should we be “profiting” the kingdom of God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, Christians, excellence, excellent, faithful, faithful servant, God, Jesus, master, mediocre, mediocrity, profit, profitable, profitable in the kingdom, unprofitable, unworthy, well done, well done good and faithful servant
The Spirit and the Word 