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Living Saved – Past, Present & Future

19 Jun

GalaxyIn my last post I talked about how the work of salvation was started in your life.  But that’s not the end of it.  The Word has a greater job to do in you.

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
James 1:21

James is writing to the church in this passage of Scripture.  As I’ve stated before, I believe that the book of James was the first New Testament Scripture to be written.  If that’s true, then the Word he refers to could not be the Bible, since that was unknown at this point in church history.

What James is telling us is that the Word has been planted in us and is continuing to grow in us.  It’s there to change us.  Actually, what he says in the original Greek, is that this seed has the power (dunamis) to save your soul.  James is telling us to allow the seed of the Word to do its job, the saving of our souls.

Wait a minute!  I thought that if I accepted Christ, then I’m saved already.  The answer to that is an important one.  Yes, you were saved from sin and hell.  If you died right now you would go to heaven to be with the Lord.

However, in the broadest sense, salvation is not a one time thing.  It’s ongoing.  I’m saved (from sin and hell), I’m being saved (from the effects of sin in me), and I will be saved (from my flesh).  It’s this ongoing process of salvation that James is writing about.

Salvation itself is a package deal.  It includes everything that Christ paid for on the cross.  That same Word that brought me over from death to life also works God’s health and provision in me.  But for this to work, it has to start in my soul and work its way out.

That’s why the Word is called a seed.  Much of its work is done in the unseen places, below the surface.  Then, as it continues its work, it bursts out into the sunlight to bring the work in my life to completion – the bearing of fruit.

The question may arise – where does the seed come from?  The answer is simple.  It comes from the processes of the Spirit.  The seed grows, produces the plant and then the fruit.  The fruit itself contains more seed.  That seed is then planted in new ground to produce even more – and the cycle continues.

So, in reality, the seed comes from those who at one time received the Word, allowed it to grow, and then brought forth fruit.  The seed comes from someone who accepted the Word.  According to the parables of Christ, there can be 30, 60, or even 100 times what was originally sown.  God wants an abundant harvest.  The greater the harvest, the greater the next planting will be.

Question: How much has your life changed since you first made Christ Lord of your life?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on June 19, 2013 in Word of God

 

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The Last Days – Two Kingdoms Side by Side

09 Jan

agricultureI believe that we’re in the Last Days before the return of Christ.  Did you know about the weeding that is going to take place in the Last Days?  Christ taught about it during His earthly ministry.  Very few people talk about it because it doesn’t fit into their view of the end times.

I want to take a few posts to examine this important concept.  I think that it’s important for every believer to know what to expect on the road ahead.

The following is based upon the events and teachings found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13 and verses 24-41.  I encourage you to read that passage first, before continuing this post.  You will have a greater understanding of what I’m saying.

This is actually the second teaching given by Jesus concerning the last days.  He gave it to the disciples in parable form.

At this point the disciples already knew that there would be a day of resurrection sometime in the future.  They knew that on that day the graves would be opened.  Someday all believers will rise with a new resurrected body.  In this teaching, Jesus builds upon that knowledge.

In the parable, the Lord teaches about a farmer who sowed good seed in the ground.  Secretly, an enemy sowed bad seed during the night.  When asked what he would do about it, the farmer said that he would let both plants grow together until the harvest.  That way he could tell the difference between the weeds and the wheat.

The disciples had no idea what Jesus was talking about.  Later on in the day, the disciples found themselves alone with the Lord.  They took that opportunity to ask Him about it.  It’s Jesus’ explanation that I want to talk about.

According to the Lord, sons of the kingdom (that’s us), were sown into the world.  But the devil also sowed his sons into the world.  According to the parable there are two kingdoms, on earth, growing side by side.  I believe that’s where all the spiritual tension comes from that we are presently experiencing.

The kingdom of God and the world are both headed in opposite directions.  They have two different kings and vastly different goals.  As we approach the end, both kingdoms are going to start developing to the point where they’re bearing fruit.  The closer we get to the return of the Lord, the clearer we will see both the church of Jesus Christ and the world for what they truly are.

It is the overlap of the world and the church that causes the problems.  This parable addresses what God intends to do about it in the Last Days.  This is a very important subject.  If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to this blog for email delivery, so you won’t miss any of the posts.

Question: How have you experienced the tension between the kingdom of God and the world?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2013 in Return of Christ

 

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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 Farm

07 Apr

Hebrews 6:7
Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

Your life is like a field, bearing crops for the Lord’s use.  We plant the seed of the Word of God.  Then our lives yield the Fruit of the Spirit.  This is what the Lord desires of us.

There are many factors that affect our fruitfulness.  Just like growing plants in the physical, our spiritual fruit require care.  There are a lot of things that can destroy the crop if left unchecked.

Prayerlessness is one of the things that can devastate a spiritual harvest.  However, spending time with the Lord in a wilderness setting – alone and undisturbed – will bring forth a bountiful harvest.

Spending time in the presence of God is like spring showers on dry, thirsty ground.  It will provide the nutrients needed to bear an abundant harvest of righteousness.  Always remember that the fruit cannot be forced, they must be grown.  It takes the daily presence of God to change our lives into what we should be.

Take the opportunity given to you this day to spend quality time in the presence of the Lord.  Let His grace permeate the good soil of your heart.  Let the seed of the Word germinate and take root in you.  Be the kind of farmland that produces a bumper crop for your King.

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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