A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how the Bible describes our excellent God. It’s one thing to acknowledge that a perfect, holy, and Most High God is excellent. It’s quite another to see that we’re called to that same level of excellence.
Again, let me remind you that it’s not what we do, but whom we have become that makes us excellent. A ministry is not excellent because of its money, technology, modern equipment, large size, big building, or anything else that we may possess. It’s only when we compare what we’re doing to the normal, the average, or the expected that excellence can be seen.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2
The very act of finding and entering your calling is being set apart – you are being divinely moved from a large group to a smaller group. This, by definition, is the more excellent group.
It is a group of those who have been called, prepared, chosen, and accepted for a divinely appointed task. Don’t ever think you’re just like everybody else; you’re not.
There are levels to our callings based upon our obedience and excellence. The more we manifest excellence in our walk and ministry, the further from the pack we move. Make no mistake about it; the Lord is very clear in His call to us – we are to leave the normal behind.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
This seems like an almost impossible task. Are we really to be as perfect as God? Actually, the word perfect in this verse means fully mature. God wants us to grow up and act as mature believers. The life of maturity in Christ is the life of excellence to which we are called.
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:15-16
It is clear from the above verses that God is calling us to live a life worthy of His excellent name. Please don’t get confused by what I’m saying. I’m not talking about your salvation. It’s not by works that we’re saved, but through the grace of God.
What I am speaking about, however, is the fact that once we’re saved, there is an expectation of change (for the better) in our lives. God is looking for His children to grow and mature into a people who accurately portray His kingdom and His desires.
For Christians, the walk of maturity is the walk of excellence.
Question: In what areas have you seen yourself mature since you’ve come to Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: above, average, called, called to a life of excellence, calling, chosen, excellence, expected, God, grow up, holy, Holy Spirit, mature believers, mediocre, normal, obedience, perfect, prepared, set apart, worthy
I have said that the United States desperately needs a revival. What is that? Is it a church full of weeping, “falling down under the power of God”, or huge crowds on Sunday morning?
Is it something we plan into our schedules? “Revival Meetings the first week of December.”
The truth is that it’s not something we put on, but a work that God performs in us. It’s a special presence of Christ revealing Himself to our society.
I believe that revival is birthed out of desperation. When we reach the end of what we can do, all we can rely on is the work of God in us.
It’s kind of like the condition of Israel as they prepared to leave Mt Sinai in the book of Exodus. They had already turned from God before Moses had even come down from the mountain with the law.
Now God has cleansed the camp and they are about to move out. They are headed for the Promised Land.
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
Exodus 33:15-16
Now there’s a desperate prayer! What if the modern church prayed like this and meant it? Most churches would close their doors the first week.
Unfortunately, we just go on with the show. We’ve learned how to experience growth without the move of God. A great music team and a charismatic preacher is all you need for success.
We need to learn that growth doesn’t mean that God is in the work. It grieves me to say it, but if the Holy Spirit left us today, 90% of churches would be unaffected. Much of the church in America is leaning on the arm of flesh to sustain it.
We need the presence of the Lord. What else will distinguish the church from any other good social program?
The key is transformed lives. That’s the proof of the power of God. When Christ works through His people, we don’t remain the same.
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
Exodus 33:18
This is the prayer of desperation that needs to go up from God’s people. We must put aside our goals, and seek the glory of God in our lives. If He does the work, then He gets the glory.
It’s time for revival in our nation.
Question: How desperate are you for a move of God in our nation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, arm of flesh, Christ, church, desperation, foundation for revival, glory of God, God, God's people, Holy Spirit, Jesus, modern church, move of God, power of God, prayer, presence of Christ, presence of God, revival, the Lord, transformed lives, United States, weeping
I’ve been posting about how similar our modern attitudes are to the crowd in John Chapter 6. They seem to have their eyes on the temporary, while Christ is trying to point them to the eternal.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty…And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:35-40
Notice that Jesus repeats Himself here. Two times He said to them, “I will raise them up at the last day.” It’s a very simple statement. It’s so simple, in fact, that most Christians miss it as well.
He told them that if they come to Him and put their trust in Him, He’ll give them eternal life and He’ll raise them up at the last day. The key is that you must have this eternal life in you BEFORE you enter the grave. If you have this eternal life in you, then death will not be able to keep you any more than it could hold on to the Lord.
He said it twice yet they didn’t hear him. Look at their reaction.
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
John 6:41
It went right over their heads. They missed it. The Lord said you can have eternal life and that He’d raise you up at the last day. All they heard was that He thinks He’s bread that has come down from heaven. “What does He mean He’s bread coming down from heaven?”
They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:42-44
Jesus is desperately trying to get it into their head that He wasn’t emphasizing bread coming down from heaven. He was trying to get them to embrace eternal life. Over and over again He said, “I’ll raise him up at the last day.” They just didn’t get it.
I think, that just like us, they didn’t want to get it. They could tell that what Jesus was talking about meant change. They would have to change their views and attitudes about God. The Lord would no longer be that big “candy machine in the sky,” but a friend with whom you must spend time cultivating a relationship.
Question: How do you deepen your relationship with Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: attitudes, bread of heaven, bread of life, candy machine in the sky, Christ, eternal, eternal life, friend, friend of God, God, Jesus, raise him up, relationship, temporary, the last day
I’ve been talking about excellence for a few posts. I want to finish up this topic by showing that everything God has for us in His kingdom is excellent.
The Greek word usually translated excellent in the New Testament is hyperballo. Hyperballo, literally means, to throw beyond. The word picture being used is of an Olympic sport such as throwing the javelin.
Everyone else has thrown it to a certain, average point. You, however, get up and throw it beyond all the others. That’s a picture of the concept of excellence. When you throw beyond the normal or what’s expected, then you’ve entered the realm of the excellent.
Here are some examples of how the word hyperballo is used of the Lord in the New Testament:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18-19a
The word that was translated incomparably great is hyperballo. Many people have a measure of strength, but God desires to work His power in us. This is a power that goes beyond the normal, the average or the expected. His power working in us is excellent.
In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:7
Not only does He desire to show us His excellent power, but He also wants to work His excellent grace in us. Most of us know that the grace of God is His unmerited favor. The favor of the Lord goes beyond what’s deserved or expected.
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19
He also wants to show us His love that throws beyond knowledge. This love is greater than anything we have ever experienced before in our lives. His love goes further than we could ever ask, think, or imagine.
If you have ever received teaching on the book of Hebrews, you have probably heard that the theme of the book is “Better.” How much better the ministry of Christ is than any other! It incorporates a better sacrifice, a better priesthood, and better promises.
Why would anyone settle for mediocrity? Knowing who the Lord is should spur us on to excellence. His excellent power, excellent grace, and excellent love are the treasures that He is ready to bestow upon us. We only need to be willing to walk the high road of excellence.
Question: How have you experienced the excellence of God’s kingdom?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: average, better, beyond, excellence, expected, God, God's excellent kingdom, God's grace, God's love, God's strength, hyperballo, javelin, kingdom, kingdom of God, mediocrity, normal, Olympics, throw beyond
In my last post I talked about power and authority. Power is the ability to produce change. Authority is the permission to use power.
Jesus told us that we had authority over all the power of the enemy. This causes me to question our current church experience. If what the Lord said is true, then why does the enemy seem to be winning?
To understand this you must realize that just like electricity, there are two forms of spiritual power.
“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
These were some of the last words of Jesus before He was taken up into Heaven. We must realize that our power comes from God Himself through the Holy Spirit in us. This means that the two sources of spiritual power are the Holy Spirit and sin.
This is a very important fact to know if we’re to grow in our spiritual walk. Our goal should be to only receive our power from the Holy Spirit.
We must be certain that we’re not powered by the same thing that powers the enemy’s kingdom. To have this assurance, we need to ask a very important question. If sin is a power source, then what is the power of sin?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
That should be an eye opener. Most Christians have no idea that the power of sin is the law. We seem to have missed this fact even though it’s plainly taught in the Scripture. This means that without the law, sin would have no power.
As a matter of fact, Satan’s power is derived totally from sin. So if there were no law, then the enemy would have no power. Everything that Satan is able to do is powered by the law. Whether you realize this or not, every accusation and attack that he makes is all based upon the law. The problem we have is that just knowing this truth isn’t enough to defeat him.
Like AC and DC, both forms are very powerful. AC is the type of electricity that powers your house. DC is the type that starts your car in the morning as well as supplying power for the lightning we see in a thunderstorm. In the same way, the two forms of spiritual power can be very potent.
We, as believers, need to understand the differences so that we’ll not fall into the trap of trying to use the enemy’s power to defeat sin in our lives.
Question: How do we sometimes try to use our sinful nature to defeat sin in our lives?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: AC, authority, Christ, DC, devil, electricity, enemy, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, permission, power, power of sin, power of the spirit, produce change, Satan, sin, spiritual power, the enemy's power source, the law
Many people are looking for “the Anti-Christ.” Even Hollywood has done movies about it. If you’re a believer, then you need to realize that we are already facing the spirit of antichrist that’s at work in the world.
Can you recognize the working of this spirit? Do you even know what to look for? This knowledge is important for our spiritual well-being in these last days.
But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
1 John 4:3
The Apostle John tells us that there is a spirit of antichrist. According to him, it was already at work in his day.
What is it? Well, let’s think about it. The title Christ means the Anointed One. It was a description of the Messiah. Anti means that this spirit is actively working against the Anointed One.
When we bow our knee to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we place ourselves under His anointing.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
We now have the Anointed One and His anointing active in our lives. This anointing is leading us somewhere. It is guaranteeing what the Lord want to accomplish through us. That’s the Spirit of Christ in us.
The spirit of antichrist is active in the world. There is an “anti-anointing” at work trying to neutralize what Christ is doing through us.
What we have to realize is that it’s all about Christ. Have you ever noticed that if you talk about God or a “higher power,” it’s okay? You can even talk about religion to some extent.
But, as soon as you try to talk about Jesus Christ, the conversation gets shut down. Using that precious name to swear is socially acceptable. Yet when I want to show how that name can transform a life, it becomes an “off limits” topic.
There is power in the name of Jesus. That’s where the source of our anointing comes from. We cannot minister without it.
That’s why the kingdom of the enemy is so adamant about trying to shut it down. The spirit of antichrist – this anti-anointing that’s in the world – wants us to remain silent.
That’s why it’s so important to recognize where this comes from. Even more important to know, is that our anointing is greater, stronger, and more effective than anything in the enemy’s arsenal. If we stand in Christ, then we cannot be stopped or silenced.
As believers, we need to recognize that this anti-spirit is active around us. But we must never fear it. Neither will we submit to it or compromise with it.
Question: Have you seen this antichrist spirit active in the people around you?
Tags: anointed one, antichrist, at work, Christ, God, higher power, His anointing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, Messiah, name of Jesus, recognizing the spirit of antichrist, savior, spirit, spirit of antichrist, Spirit of Christ, world
I want to talk about the very foundation of the Word of God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:1-2
Whenever you talk about the Word of God you must start with Christ. Notice that in this verse the Word is a He. God and His Word are one and the same. When the Bible speaks about the Word of God, it’s talking about God’s revelation of Himself.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Christ is the Word made flesh. He was the Word throughout eternity past. He will be the Word for all of the eternity that lies before us. This is the foundation of all we know about the Word of God.
By looking at Christ we see the total embodiment of what the Word of God is and does in our lives. It’s through His life and words that we can truly understand how the Word applies to us.
You would think that because of this truth, there would be no question as to what the Word of God is in our life and walk. I wish that were the case. The fact is that there’s much controversy surrounding exactly what the Word of God is.
Please read my posts carefully, and prayerfully. It’s my hope to cut through some of the problems created by our present use of “Christianese” – the religious language we have grown used to in the church.
This language is not always in line with Scripture. It’s my prayer that you will see a difference between how we describe certain truths and how the Bible describes them. I also pray that when you see this difference, you’ll choose the Biblical definition.
It’s because of our use of this religious language that we get into many arguments. One of these is over what the Word of God is.
There are some who insist that only the King James Version of the Bible is the Word of God. There are others who say that any translation is the Word. Who is right?
Actually, according to Scripture, the above argument is not even asking the right question! Let’s allow Christ, the Living Word, to be the Judge in this situation.
Over the next few posts I hope to clarify some things that are causing tremendous problems in the Body of Christ. I want to see God’s people get back to where we should be in our handling of the Word.
Question: How does Christ continue to reveal Himself as the Living Word of God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christianese, eternal, eternity, God, grace, living word, religious language, revelation, Scripture, truth, word, word made flesh, word of God, word of God who not what
2012 is over. We’re now in new territory! What does this new year hold for us? There is a way to safely navigate the unknown that lies before us.
Society is taking a dim view of the future. With talk of fiscal cliffs and higher taxes, many are worried. There are those who fear an increase in violence and unpredictable weather patterns. Where can we turn to for answers? The same place the truth has always been…
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11
Our God didn’t get stuck in 2012! He is with us today. He knows all about the latest technology – before it’s even invented. He is well able to bring though to a victorious new year.
It’s a blessing to know that God will never leave us nor forsake us. According to this verse, He’s the Guide that never fails. He can find water in the driest desert. He gives strength in the time of trouble. If we rely on Him, we will be just like a spring whose source never fails.
Many times people look at us and wonder what’s the secret of our strength. There seems to be nothing special about us. On the outside we’re as weak and mortal as everyone else.
What they don’t know is that our strength comes from far below the surface – deep within – where we have tapped into the presence of an Almighty God. This is the secret to the abundant life. We must learn to remain in the presence of the Lord.
Because of the hand of God upon our lives, we seem to have an ability to move forward in ways that others cannot comprehend. This only happens when we take a spiritual drink from the springs of living water that come directly from the Lord. This is the road to victorious living.
Spend time with your Guide today. Let Him empower you for the year ahead. Become that “well-watered garden” in His presence. That is the only way to assure an outcome of fulfillment and joy throughout 2013.
I pray God’s richest blessing upon you in the coming year!
© Nicolas Zaccardi 2013
Tags: 2013, blessing of God, fear, fiscal cliff, God, guidance, guidance for the new year, guide, living water, new year, presence of God, strength, taxes, the Lord, victorious, victory, violence, weather, wisdom of God, worry
This is my third post talking about why the evolution-creation debate is so emotional. I have been dealing with the subject of understanding. I believe this is at the very heart of the issue. What is it about understanding that scares so many learned people?
The apostle Paul gives us some insight.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Romans 1:18-19
I guess the real question is, how has God made it plain? Atheists say that they can look at creation and not even think about a God.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
There’s that key phrase again – being understood. This is what society fears the most. If you apply understanding to what you see around you, it will lead you to God. There’s no way around it, understanding will bring you face to face with God.
The Lord made it impossible to use understanding to arrive at the conclusion that we are here by the evolutionary process. Applying understanding to the world around us will never lead to a belief in random chance. How does that theory come about?
It starts with the foundation of atheism – I don’t want there to be a God. Therefore, I have to come up with some other way for us to be here. I must now find an explanation for how we could have gotten here if there were no God. Of course, all the facts won’t fit into my theory, but at least I can explain how there can be life without God – even if it means I put my understanding on hold.
That’s why evolution will always be a theory. It can never be proven, because there are too many things that it can’t explain when taken all together. All it can do is provide a bit of consolation for those who don’t want to believe in God.
This is where the frightening world of understanding comes in. Understanding will cost you something. It brings responsibility with it. Once I understand that there is a God that I must answer to, the rest of my life is affected by this knowledge. That’s why the quest for understanding is one which is not undertaken by many.
It’s my prayer that you are one of the few who seek to understand the truth.
Question: How does your understanding of God affect your lifestyle?
Tags: atheists, creation, creation leads to God, divine nature, evolution, God, power, random chance, responsibility, theory, understanding, Understanding is a scary subject
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how the Bible describes our excellent God. It’s one thing to acknowledge that a perfect, holy, and Most High God is excellent. It’s quite another to see that we’re called to that same level of excellence.
The Spirit and the Word 