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Tag Archives: God’s word

Truth – Protecting Your Seed (Repost)

10 Oct
Truth – Protecting Your Seed (Repost)

I’m taking a couple of weeks off from writing, so I’m reposting some of my most popular articles.

In the spiritual battles that we face, we need to know how to prepare. To do this, the Lord has given us access to His personal set of armor.

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

The first piece of armor that we’re given is the Belt of Truth. We’re told that it needs to be buckled around our waist. Literally, the belt is buckled around our loins.

In Scripture, our loins speak about our seed. Not to be too graphic, but that’s where our reproductive organs reside. Our seed needs to be protected.

We’re told throughout the Bible that we need to be bearing fruit. That’s not going to happen without a good supply of seed.

First, I want to deal with some misconceptions concerning our seed. Some think that a few bad seeds mixed in don’t matter. That’s not true. Weeds grow and spread without any help at all.

Another wrong thought is that anything that we plant will grow. That’s not true either. Galatians 6:7-9 explains that you reap what you sow IF you don’t give up. It also matters where you sow your seed. They need to be planted in good soil.

With that understanding, we can talk about the seed that we want to see grow in our lives. How do we protect our precious, spiritual seed?

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:13

Peter understood this concept. In this verse, the phrase, prepare your minds for action literally reads, gird the loins of your mind. Spiritually speaking, your loins, the storehouse of your seed, is your mind.

The reason for this is because your mind should be where you’re placing the truth. Every time you memorize Scripture, you’re placing good seeds in your storehouse.

The real question then becomes; how well do you protect your seed? It’s really easy to complain when nothing seems to be growing. We need to keep our seed from being nullified.

Jesus communicated this in His prayer to the Father. He wanted the disciples, and us, to bear much fruit.

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17

We’re talking about the truth of God’s Word, not man’s word. The only way to protect your seed is to walk in the truth of God.

When we walk in doubt, fear, presumption, hearsay, or our own habits, we nullify God’s Word in us. We need to operate in the truth – “This is what the Lord says.” Our goal should be, “I’m doing this because God said…”

We get into trouble because many times we plant a lot of unprotected seed. We need to learn the lesson from airport security. “Has your suitcase been away from your control?”

Please understand that this is not just a prayer you make in the morning. You can’t just confess the Belt of Truth when you get up and then feed your seed to the spiritual pigeons the rest of the day.

We have to protect our seed if we want to see them grow. That means allowing the truth of God’s Word to saturate all that we do.

Question: How much of God’s Word have you stored in your mind?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2025 in Ministry, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

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God’s Word – Living and Enduring

19 Mar
God’s Word – Living and Enduring

As we go through 1 Peter, we’re seeing the work of holiness being accomplished in us. The apostle continues on, showing us the reason for this transformation.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:23 NIV

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know that one of my main themes concerns the Word of God. I believe that we miss it if the only way we view the Word is thinking about it as the Bible.

In many of my posts I talk about the relationship between the Word of God and the Scripture. The Bible is the written Word of God. But we also need to hear the Word from the Holy Spirit. This is where the power of God intersects with our lives.

The Bible teaches that we must correctly handle the Word of Truth. In order to do that I must be studying the Scripture – the written record of God’s Word – so that I can handle the Word I receive from God today.

In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Acts 19:20

The Bible uses many terms in relation to the Word of God. It uses language such as spread, increased, grew, reached and multiplied. In the above verse we’re told how. The verse says in this way. If you read through this nineteenth chapter of the Book of Acts you’ll get a taste for the effects of the Word.

We see the gifts of tongues and prophecy being manifested. There was boldness in preaching. Handkerchiefs and aprons that touched Paul were taken to the sick and they were healed.

Demonic spirits were confronted and expelled. There was widespread repentance such that a group of new believers burned the equivalent of $5,000,000 worth of satanic sorcery books.

That’s the way the Word of God is described as growing. Literally, the above verse says that the Word became a force to be reckoned with. The Word of God is alive and it grows.

The fact is that we’ve been saved by the living Word of God. That Word is a seed that’s growing inside of us. It will never decay or diminish. It’s there forever.

Peter explains to us that it’s living and enduring. It’s always alive and growing. Nothing and no one can extinguish its flame.

Somewhere along the line somebody spoke God’s Word to you. It doesn’t matter whether they used the Bible or not – you heard a Word from God that changed your life. It might have been a Bible verse, a word of prophecy, or a statement of divine truth. Either way, you received it, it grew inside of you, and eventually you accepted Jesus Christ and were born again.

That’s how the Word of God starts its work in you. The fact that you’ve established Christ as your Lord and Savior is proof that the Word has taken residence in you. Now it’s up to us what we do with that seed.

That’s why Peter is writing his letter. So that we can experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in us. That should be our goal. To walk more and more into the Lord’s holiness and righteousness.

Question: What was the Word of God that brought salvation into your life?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 19, 2025 in Power of God, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Preparation for Holiness

26 Feb
Preparation for Holiness

We’re now going through the New Testament book of 1 Peter. In the last few posts we were talking about the salvation we share in Christ. The apostle now gets to the heart of the matter.

Peter begins the next section with the word, therefore. That means that everything he has said so far was the groundwork for this. He is about to start talking about holiness. That’s an important message for church leaders to understand.

Let me review some of the things I’ve already taught about holiness. Holiness is one of those concepts that we have trouble grasping. A little while ago we looked at 1 Corinthians.

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Lord and ours…

1 Corinthians 1:2 NIV

The word sanctified in this verse literally means made holy. It’s something that’s already been accomplished. However, Paul also says that we’re called to be holy. That’s looking toward the future.

The fact is that there are two parts of holiness. Part 1 is something only God can do. He makes you holy. When you put your trust in Him for your salvation, He sets you apart for His use. That’s Him making you holy.

But part 2 is something only you can do. You must make yourself holy. This means that you set yourself apart for God’s use. The truth is that you cannot do part 2 unless God has done part 1.

If you’re saved, then He has set you apart. But He cannot use you until you set yourself apart. In today’s post, we’ll start to look at how to do that.

Please note that Peter doesn’t use the word holy until verse 19, but we’re starting in verse 13.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:13 NIV

The literal translation of the first part of this verse is to gird up the loins of your mind. That’s an interesting statement. But it goes right along with what Paul said in regard to our spiritual armor.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…

Ephesians 6:14 NIV

This verse literally tells us to stand firm with our loins girded all around with truth. The two apostles are obviously talking about the same thing. But the big question is; how do we gird our minds with the belt of truth?

Jesus answered that question in His prayer for us right after the Last Supper.

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

John 17:17 NIV

Jesus prayed for us in this verse. He asked God the Father to make us holy by the truth. What is that truth? It’s the truth of God’s Word. It all has to start with the Word.

That’s why God’s Word is so important. It changes my attitudes of how I see myself. I’m not my own. I have been bought with a very great price.

Make sure you start your faith journey with the Word of God. It’s the foundation for everything.

Question: How have you seen the Word of God change the way you think?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 26, 2025 in Leadership, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Grace, Faith, and Works

22 Sep
Grace, Faith, and Works

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he begins to talk about his purpose. In my last post, we saw that the church was exhorted to walk in purity, shining the light of Christ, and holding forth the Word of God.

Paul told them these things…

…in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Philippians 2:16 NIV

Paul did not want his labors in the Philippian church to be in vain. Literally, that word means to be empty. But, what is Paul trying to get across to them?

It’s actually an important concept that we need to take note of. Our desire should be that our walk before God is not an empty walk. I want to explain it to you from Scripture.

We first have to start with the grace of God. His grace has been poured out on all of mankind. Some choose to receive it, while others either reject or ignore it.

As believers in Christ, we must receive it with a purpose. Scripture is clear.

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

2 Corinthians 6:1 NIV

This is where it begins. The receiving of God’s grace. He has poured it out on us in abundance. But, what are we doing with it? That’s the real question.

So it’s not a matter of obtaining grace. You’ve already got it. You have the grace of God for everything you need. So what’s the problem?

Notice that Paul refers to his audience as God’s fellow workers. Do you see yourself as working alongside God in His field? If not, then that’s where you need to concentrate your prayers.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

You have the grace, now you need to start putting it to work. Your work, alongside God as a fellow worker, is not empty. It will have an effect. It will make a difference in your life and in those around you.

Grace always has a destination – a purpose – in mind. Receiving God’s grace, and not acting on it, makes for an empty life. All the work you’re doing is worthless.

That brings me to the final piece of the puzzle. We can’t act on God’s grace without a knowledge of God’s will. God’s Word is His will revealed to us. We should already know that faith comes by hearing that Word (Romans 10:17).

This faith has a relationship with grace.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

Romans 5:1-2a NIV

Faith gives us access to use the grace we’ve received. We hear God’s will. Faith is birthed I us. We trust that God’s Word is true. Then we act on it.

James understood this concept.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

James 2:20 NIV

This is an interesting verse because that word, foolish, is the same Greek word, vain that we’ve been talking about. If you don’t take the grace and faith that you’ve been given, and act on them, you’re empty and unfulfilled.

I don’t want an empty, unfulfilled life. I want to accomplish my destiny in the Lord. That will require me to take the grace and faith I’ve been given and use them to work alongside the Lord in His kingdom.

Let that be the desire of your heart!

Question: How are you putting God’s grace to work in your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Together in Spiritual Warfare

01 Sep
Together in Spiritual Warfare

As we go through the book of Philippians, we now come to a very important truth. This is one of the epistles that the Holy Spirit used to concentrate on us as a body of believers.

After explaining the possibility of persecution for the faith, Paul gives the church this command.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved — and that by God.

Philippians 1:27-28 NIV

In the past, I’ve posted about the connection between prayer in the spirit, unity, and the fight of faith. Did you know that they all go hand in hand? To read these posts, click here.

This is one of many Scriptures where we’re told to contend for the faith. I’ve read through this verse many times. After careful study, I’ve developed a very different take on this passage.

When I read it now, it sounds to me like an army general giving a final speech to his troops on the eve of battle. Listen to what Paul says. Stand firm in ONE SPIRIT. Contend as ONE MAN for the faith. How can this be done in the natural?

We know from God’s Word, that it can’t, it must be a work of the spirit. We must pray in the heavenly gift together, and so line up our spirits with each other and with the Holy Spirit. Only then can we stand firm in one “spiritual wind”. (The Greek word for wind and spirit is exactly the same.)

It’s without a doubt that prayer in the spirit unifies the church for war. This gift is the unifying factor in the body of Christ. There is, however, a deeper reason for using prayer in the spirit as a part of our warfare. I found this, of all places, while watching the Weather Channel.

They were airing a special about wind. Scientifically, the wind is simply air molecules in motion. They talked about everything from light winds to severe winds.

You would think that a 40 MPH wind is twice as strong, does twice the damage of a 20 MPH wind. So did I, and I was wrong. The effect of wind on its environment is an exponential increase as the speed increases.

This means that because of the nature of wind, a 40 MPH wind is actually ten times the strength and effect of a 20 MPH wind. Take hurricanes for example. A Category 1 hurricane, the weakest, is about 75 MPH. The strongest, a Category 5, is about 135 MPH. Even though it has twice the wind speed, a Category 5 hurricane does ten times the damage of a Category 1.

What does any of this have to do with prayer in the spirit? Well, all of this talk about the exponential increase of wind should remind you of a spiritual truth.

How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.

Deuteronomy 32:30-31 NIV

We usually quote this by saying, “one can put a thousand to flight and two shall put ten thousand to flight.” Whether you know it or not this verse is speaking about the exponential increase of the move of the Spirit of God.

The truth we need to learn is that prayer in the spirit has an exponential effect on the object of that prayer. This is the true power of corporate prayer in the spirit.

This is an important truth for us to learn. That’s because of the generation we’re living in. There’s a rise in persecution against the church taking place. This is what Paul is referring to. He continues that thought.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Philippians 1:29-30 NIV

We need to begin contending together, as one man for the faith. The requires corporate prayer in the spirit.

Question: Why is the power of corporate prayer in the spirit largely untapped in our generation?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 1, 2023 in Faith, Fellowship, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, The Church, Word of God

 

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Partnership With the Word

21 Aug
Partnership With the Word

In my last post, I started looking at the book of Philippians. It was Paul’s letter to a church who had greatly supported his ministry.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-6 NIV

Paul is commending them for their partnership in the Good News of Christ. That word, partnership, means that they have a share in what Word of God, through Paul, is doing.

The credit for every soul that is saved under his ministry is also placed in their heavenly account. That’s the joy of partnership which all believers should be a part of. It’s the evidence of God at work in His people.

The word confident is a word that means persuaded. How persuaded are you, not only that God is doing the work, but that He will complete it in you? It’s not about us. It’s all about what He has accomplished for us. Let the Word of God fully persuade you to put your whole trust in the Lord.

We sometimes tend to treat the things of God very lightly. We say things like, “Of course I’m trusting God.” But are we really? How far would we let our faith take us? That’s the real test of our belief.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews talked about some Old Testament saints who stood their ground in the spirit.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

Hebrews 11:13

This Scripture says that they saw the promises of God from a distance. Obviously, Christ had not arrived on the scene yet. They had to wait for the fulfillment. They went to their graves fully trusting God for the outcome He promised.

There’s actually more to it than that. The word saw in the above verse is the same word, persuaded, that Paul used in his letter. These believers become persuaded about God’s power.

How persuaded are you? They were convinced in God’s ability to accomplish what He said He would do. Paul said the same thing. What’s the confession that people hear from your mouth?

It should be: “God can heal.” “God can restore broken homes.” “God can provide for needs.” “God can change people’s lives.”

Not only were these Old Testament people persuaded by God’s abilities, this verse also says that they welcomed His promises. That word welcomed means that they embraced those promises even at a distance.

Are you embracing the Lord’s Word for yourself? It’s not enough just to agree that God is able to do something. You need to make it personal.

“God can heal me.” “God can restore my home.” “God can provide for my needs.” “God can change my life.”

We all have to come to the point where we understand that we serve a very personal God. Christ didn’t just go to the cross for the sins of the world. He went to save ME from MY SIN. I need to see Him as the One who is presently working in my life.

That will lead me to the next thing that these bygone saints were known for. They admitted, literally confessed, that they were aliens and strangers on earth. That word, in Greek, means to speak the same as. I need to speak the same Word that the Lord speaks. That’s partnership with the Word.

I’m an alien here on earth. I’m a part of the heavenly kingdom. I have access to more than our society does. It changes the way I talk.

“God is my Savior.” “God is my Healer.” “God is my Provider.” “God is my Restorer.”

This is where our strength comes from. It’s not from how good I am, but how good my God is.

Question: What are you trusting God to accomplish in you?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 21, 2023 in Ministry, Missions, Power of God, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Applying the Belt of Truth

28 Jun
Applying the Belt of Truth

In my last post, I wrote about the Belt of Truth, found in Ephesians, chapter 6. We’re in the section where Paul talks about the Armor of God. Today, I want to deal with the application of this truth.

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

In my last post, I showed that the Belt of Truth was the piece of armor that protects the seed of God’s Word in our minds. When we memorize Scripture, that seed is stored in our mind. We want it protected so that it can be planted to produce a good crop for the Lord.

How do I use this piece of armor? Paul talked about our spiritual weaponry in his second letter to the Corinthian church.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5

In this battle to protect the seed, I need to make my thoughts obedient to Christ. That’s the goal. I don’t want weeds affecting my harvest.

Jesus warned His disciples about the same things.

“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Matthew 16:6

We need to watch what we let into our minds – the things that we dwell on and rehearse. We can’t just swallow everything. There’s a lot of religious talk out there that sounds good. The real question is; does it line up with God’s Word?

The fact is, the more of God’s Word that we desire, the more the enemy will try to water it down. Guarding this is the most important thing you can do if you want a fruitful life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.
1 Timothy 6:20-21

Paul warned his spiritual son, Timothy, that he needed to guard the Word that had been deposited in him. Paul literally tells him to avoid those who have crossed the line with their empty words and conflicting theories of how they think God should do things.

The Greek people had a word that they used for this kind of person. It meant someone who just babbled on and on. The idiom they used literally translates as a seed-picker.

Are you letting the “seed-pickers” into your life? You need to be buckling the Belt of Truth around the loins of your mind. Let God’s Word be a filter to stop the wrong things from getting in.

When we hear something that could affect how we serve God; it should cause a question to rise up. Is this truth, or is it someone’s opinion? I don’t want to be found trying to please God based on an opinion.

Please understand that I’m not talking about stray thoughts. We all have them and there’s not much we can do about them. But those are thoughts that are not stored yet. I’m talking about the ones that we continue to dwell on. They need to be passed through the filter of the Word.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32

I’ve heard people quote this verse many times…usually out of context. Jesus was speaking to believers here. He explains to them that if they dwell, live in, His Word, they are truly His disciples.

As Christ’s followers, it’s only as we remain in His Word that we will know the truth. And it’s that truth that will set us free.

The more we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, the more freedom we can walk in. We will also have a great supply of spiritual seed to plant for the increase of God’s kingdom.

Question: How do you guard what’s stored in your mind?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2023 in Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

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Lighting the Fire

01 Feb
Lighting the Fire

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. In my last post I started talking about the followers of Christ in Luke 24:9-32. They were discouraged and double-minded concerning Jesus’ death. After encountering the risen Lord everything changed.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32 NIV

They said that their hearts burned within them. In order to understand what happened we need to go back to that point. According to the men, it was when Jesus talked with them on the road. Let’s look at what He said to them.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27 NIV

As they were walking along the road Jesus explained the Scripture to them. What would you give to have an experience like that? The Lord, Himself, explaining the Scripture to you. It turns out that you can.

The word explained that’s used in this verse is very special. It’s the word that’s normally translated as interpretation; as in the spiritual gift of interpretation. This explanation that Jesus gave them was no boring lecture. It was an anointed Word straight from the Spirit of God.

That’s what will ignite the fire, not only in those early saints, but in us as well.

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29 NIV

God declares to us that His Word is like a fire. That’s the Word that Jesus proclaimed to these men on the road to Emmaus. As He spoke to them, the Lord lit a fire in their hearts.

We can have this same experience today. As we spend time in the presence of the Lord, we must have a listening ear. When we hear a Word from the Holy Spirit it will ignite a fire in our heart.

My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue…
Psalms 39:3 NIV

God’s Word to us starts the fire burning. But as we meditate on it, the flames increase until it is all consuming. That’s a part of the Holy Spirit’s work in the church today. He brings a Word from God to our attention – if we’re listening.

That’s the key. I’ve heard people pray for God to “send the fire.” It’s not a matter of Him sending it, but of us receiving it. We need to hear a Word from God to get it kindled in our heart. Then meditate on that Word in order to heat it up.

That means we need to develop a sensitive, listening ear in the spirit. And that only comes as we spend time in the presence of the Lord. I’m talking about intimate times where we’re not doing most of the talking.

If you want to feel the fire of the spirit, then you must learn to wait upon the Lord to hear His voice.

Question: What has the Lord spoken to you lately by His Spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2023 in Anointing, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Understanding the Word

17 Oct
Understanding the Word

We’re continuing our study through the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is now making His final trip to Jerusalem, where He will be crucified. He explains this to the disciples.

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

Luke 18:31-34 NIV

Jesus is very clear about what’s going to happen when they reach Jerusalem. We need to understand that nobody took Him by surprise. The Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection was all a part of God’s plan from the beginning of time.

Now, He wanted to prepare His disciples for what was coming. They needed to be ready for these sorrowful events that would literally rock their world.

This passage is jam-packed with important truth. If you remember, in one of my recent posts, I said that when He was ministering on earth, Jesus fulfilled the same role that the Holy Spirit has with us now. We see that clearly in these verses.

Verse 34 actually reads, this rhema-Word was concealed from them. Jesus was giving the disciples a rhema Word. That’s a pure, unprocessed Word directly from God.

There are two more important words in this section. It says that the disciples did not understand, and they did not know what was being said. That’s a big problem.

When we spend time with the Holy Spirit in God’s presence, sometimes He imparts to us a Word from heaven. That’s a rhema Word to us.

Many times, we can’t readily understand it because of our human mindset. At those times, we need to guard it in our heart. We need to protect it and rehearse it. Jesus told His disciples why this is important.

If you remember the parable of the Sower, the seed stood for the Word being sown. Look at what Jesus said about what was sown along the road.

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

Matthew 13:19 NIV

If we have no understanding of what’s being imparted to us, there’s a risk we could lose it. That’s what happened with the disciples. They let go of the Word and had to go through depression and confusion between the death and resurrection of Christ.

When we receive something from God that we don’t understand, we need to search Scripture about it. Then continue to meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to give us the understanding we need. That’s His role with us.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 14:26 NIV

The issue with the disciples was that whenever Jesus spoke about His death, they never said anything. They didn’t know what He was talking about, but they never asked for clarification. So, when the time came, they were totally unprepared for the devastating events.

We should learn this lesson. Spend time listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then, guard that Word in your heart. Over time, and with the help of the Spirit, understanding will come, and you’ll see that which God has given you.

Question: What are some things that God has spoken to you?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 17, 2022 in Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Last Days Prayer

05 Oct
Last Days Prayer

Continuing in Luke, Jesus is teaching about the Last Days. He used Noah and Lot as examples of what these times will be like. I also believe that the Lord is commenting on the fact that there will be “Noah Christians” and “Lot Christians” in the Last Days.

In order to encourage believers to be prepared, like Noah was, Jesus gives a parable about prayer.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Luke 18:1 NIV

The Lord wants us to see that, especially in these final days before His return, we need to be a people of prayer. His desire is that we continue to pray regularly, and not grow weary in this work.

He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”

Luke 18:2-3 NIV

In His parable, the Lord starts by introducing all of the characters. We are shown a local judge, who has no fear of God and shows no respect for anyone.

We then have a widow and someone who has done wrong against her. The word used, indicates that this wrong is self-evident. It’s something that anyone would consider to be an evil action.

She keeps coming to the judge for a decision against this adversary. But, the judge keeps putting her off. Undeterred, she keeps bringing her case before him.

Eventually, the judge becomes annoyed by this.

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'”

Luke 18:4-5 NIV

In the parable, this widow won the case because of her persistence. Literally, this says that the judge felt like he was getting beat up by the widow. Now, Jesus tells us the main point of what He’s teaching.

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:6-8 NIV

Look at the facts. The judge didn’t care about God or people. God is extremely watchful over His Word and His character. God has a high regard for His chosen ones. God’s attitude is nothing like this earthly judge.

Yet, even this unjust judge decided in favor of the widow out of annoyance. How much more does God delight in doing good in the lives of His people.

However, it’s the final question that seals it for me. Will the Lord find faith at His return? How do we receive faith? Faith comes as we hear God’s voice – His rhema Word (Romans 10:17).

Because of this, I believe that Jesus is talking about our spiritual battle here. Not between us and the devil. But between our spirit and our flesh.

The widow is an Illustration of our spirit crying out to God for victory over the flesh. The flesh is our adversary against everything God wants to do in our lives. As we cry out to God, it’s His voice that silences the flesh and puts it to death.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:13-14 NIV

I believe that the parable of Jesus is a picture of this principle being taught in the book of Romans. As we consistently remain in prayer, we will see victory over our adversary – the flesh.

Question: How consistent is your prayer life?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 5, 2022 in Faith, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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