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The Marks of an Apostle

28 Sep

As we go through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, he’s continuing to deal with their infatuation with these “super-apostles” that travel the region.  These ministers exalt themselves and put down any other ministry that are not a part of their group.

When these “minsters” came to Corinth, they berated Paul’s work.  Yet, even though it was Paul’s ministry that gave birth to this church, they didn’t speak up on his behalf.

I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it.  I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
2 Corinthians 12:11

Paul understands that it’s foolish to exalt yourself.  But, because the Corinthians didn’t speak up for him, he had to remind them of his work in their church.  They should have stood with Paul when these people were slandering his work.

I like Paul’s sarcasm here.  He makes the statement that even though he’s nothing, he’s better than those “super-apostles”.

He goes on to explain.

The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were done among you with great perseverance.  How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?  Forgive me this wrong!
2 Corinthians 12:12-13

If you don’t already know this about me, let me tell you that I believe God never stopped anointing apostles and prophets.  These callings are still available today, to those who are open and listening for the Lord’s voice.

The marks of an apostle are the things Paul lists.  All of them are miraculous works of God through His servants.

Signs are miracles that point to the truth of God’s Word.  They confirm that what God says will stand forever.  Wonders are miracles that cause you to simply stop and stand in awe of God’s power.  Of course, there are also miracles that don’t fall into either of those categories.

We need these ministries today.  The Bible tells us what they’re for.  In Ephesians 4:11-13, we’re told that they mature us.  To my knowledge, these verses aren’t fulfilled yet, so these gifts are still needed.

More than that, apostles are vital to the saving of souls.  Listen closely to what Paul says to the Roman believers.

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit.  So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Romans 15:18-19

The Gospel is more than just spoken.  It involves what we say and do.  My question is; can you fully proclaim the Gospel of Christ without signs, wonders, and the power of the Holy Spirit?

I don’t think so!

Question: Why do so many people try to win the lost with only convincing words?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 28, 2020 in Anointing, Ministry, Power of God, The Gospel

 

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Stay Safe

18 Sep

We’re continuing through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  He has mentioned some so-called “apostles” who have been traveling from church to church.

They have exalted themselves above other ministers.  They’ve even belittled Paul in an attempt to boost their own image.

Paul now gets to the heart of the matter about these people.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.  Their end will be what their actions deserve.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15

In this simple paragraph, there are some sobering remarks.  We, as followers of Christ, need to be aware of these things.

The first thing Paul tells us is that there are false apostles who work at their deception.  Of course, anything worthwhile is going to have a corresponding counterfeit.

The word, masquerade, speaks of outward self-transformation.  These people can, at least on the outside, look, and act as a minister of Christ.  All the while, their goal is to fulfill their own desires.  They could be after money, fame, and/or a large following.

The Apostle Jude had a run-in with these types as well.  I like his description.

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm — shepherds who feed only themselves.  They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted — twice dead.
Jude 12

These ministers have nothing to offer.  You leave their meetings feeling good, but you realize that your soul is dry and hungry.  That’s because they have no access to the bread of life.

Like I said previously, it’s sobering to realize that Satan can make himself outwardly look like an angel of light.  In the same way, false ministers can look like ministers of righteousness.

Usually, the righteousness that they push is self-righteousness.  That gets you nowhere, spiritually.

This calls for maturity and discernment for God’s people.  That’s especially true when it comes to the teachings we listen to on the radio, TV, or the internet.  We need to be asking the Holy Spirit to show us the motives behind the ministry.

That’s why I’m so insistent about believers being a part of a local congregation.  Yes, I’ve heard the excuses.  “You don’t know the pain I suffered from that church.”

I understand; I’ve been there.  The truth is that no one can hurt you more than family.  But, then again, no one can help you to heal better than family.

Being a part of a local church does open you up to possible hurt.  But it can also help to protect you from the spiritual wolves that are out to destroy you.

Question: How have you grown as a result of the local church?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 18, 2020 in Ministry, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Which Jesus?

14 Sep

In the final chapters of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about their comparing him to other apostles.  He also deals with their acceptance of differing messages.  It’s something that we have to work through in our generation.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.  But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”  I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge.  We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
2 Corinthians 11:4-6

We see three things here that are a problem in our churches today, especially in the United States.  It deals with the mixed messages that come from “Christian” preachers around the country.

There is a true Jesus that we can follow.  He’s the Jesus of the Bible.  Yet so often we hear a sanitized version of His life and ministry.

There are many who try and portray the Lord as non-controversial and non-confrontational.  They say that He accepted everyone without judging them or their life choices.

But is all that true?  Here are some quotes from the real Jesus.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:11b

“See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
John 5:14b

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”
Matthew 23:33

Truly, Jesus is the God of love.  But, He never compromises His righteousness.

Another thing that Paul said was that this church put up with a different spirit than the one they first received.  That’s very telling in our generation.

I was at a pastor’s retreat recently.  One of the speakers said something very interesting.  In describing the church he grew up in, he said, “The Holy Spirit was invited to Sunday morning worship, but He had to sit in the back and behave Himself.”

Unfortunately, that’s the description of too many of our churches.  We need a Holy Spirit led revival.

Finally, this church put up with a different Gospel.  It was a “good news” that wasn’t based in the Scripture.

Today, many preach a gospel of self-realization.  “We can do it.”  “Everything I need is on the inside of me.”

Unfortunately, the truth says something different.  Without Christ, I can’t do anything worthwhile.  I need the Holy Spirit working in me.

But that is the Good News because anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and changed from glory to glory!

Question: What are some of the different “gospels” that you’ve heard preached?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2020 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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First, Second, Third

11 Sep

We’re continuing to go through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  As we start chapter 11, Paul is beginning to wind down his final thoughts.

I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that.  I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
2 Corinthians 11:1-2

Here he explains why he’s so forceful in his writings.  He actually could be writing this to any believer that’s reading this epistle.

He repeats himself.  He tells us that he’s passionate with a holy passion.  He was the one who preached the Gospel that they believed, accepted, and acted upon.

He sees himself as the one who betrothed them to one husband – Christ Himself.  His desire is for them to be holy and pure.  The goal is for them to have no other love interests.

For those of you who have been following this blog for some time, that theme should sound familiar.  Paul is not the first one to say this.

It’s the first thing we learned about the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.  (Remember…our Bible isn’t arranged in the order that God gave it to us.  James was the first of the New Testament books written.)

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
James 4:4-5

The first thing in Scripture that the Holy Spirit reveals to the church is that He’s intensely jealous.  We can’t be chasing after other desires and not expect Him to be grieved by it.

That’s why I try so hard to convey to everyone that the church is not an organization with a bunch of rules to follow.  It’s a relationship with a person…Jesus Christ.  The way we communicate with Him is through the Holy Spirit.

In his passion for the church, Paul felt he had to remind them of this fact.  They seemed to be wavering in their commitment to the Lord.

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3

There’s a deception that’s been dogging the church throughout history.  It’s the idea that I can give God first place.  That thought is a lie from the devil.

The Lord never said that He wants to be first among many.  He wants to be your all in all – your everything.

We need to come to the place where we once again understand that we’re in a covenant relationship with Christ.  That’s the same as a marriage. It’s not an agreement or a contract.

We need to place everything else in our lives under submission to the Lord.

Question: Are there things in your life that are a close second to your devotion to Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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God’s Heart

29 Jul

Continuing in our look at Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we can understand Paul’s motives.  The church had some challenges.  Paul wrote to them with instructions.  Titus went to check on their progress and reported back to Paul.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.  By all this we are encouraged.  In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
2 Corinthians 7:12-13

Paul’s letter to them (1 Corinthians) was a test.  God was challenging them to step up to a new level.

Paul was following God’s heart when he wrote to this church.  You can see it in his comments.

He didn’t write the letter because someone was sinning.  He didn’t even write it because someone was hurt or offended.  He sent it because he wanted the church to see how they had grown and matured in the Lord.

We have to understand that this is why the Lord allows tests and trials into our lives.  God isn’t wondering how we’ll respond, or if we’ve grown or not.  He already knows what’s in our hearts.  He knows how we’ll react.

God allows these challenges so that we’ll see just how far we’ve come.  Many times I’ve gone through a problem only to say something like, “Five years ago I would have never made it through that.  I must be maturing.”

God wants us to see how far we’ve progressed in Him.  But it’s not just for our sakes.

I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me.  But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.  And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling.  I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
2 Corinthians 7:14-16

That is an example of God’s heart as well.  He wants to “show us off” to the world and to the enemy’s kingdom.

The Holy Spirit is working in us.  He’s changing and maturing us into the image of Christ.  More than that, the Lord wants everyone to know it.

This is the wisdom of God.  He’s doing this so that we can walk in His glory (1 Corinthians 2:7).

We need to stop looking at our challenges as a bad thing.  God allows them into our lives for our benefit.  They’re producing His goals in our lives.  They’re paving the way to our destiny in Him.

Question: What is a past trial that you can see how a positive result came from it?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2020 in Encouragement, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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Growing in Christ

22 Jul

As we continue through the epistle of Second Corinthians, we see that Paul is now transitioning to a new subject.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
2 Corinthians 7:1

There are some important points to glean from this Scripture.  The first is that there are things we allow into our lives that not only contaminate our body but our spirit as well.

That caught me by surprise.  I thought that my spirit was beyond contamination.  Now I realize that there are things that can hinder my fellowship with the Lord.

That’s because my spirit is the part of my being that communicates with God on His level.  That’s the part of me that the Holy Spirit inhabits.  So I have to be vigilant to keep it clear of anything that would defile it.

The second important issue is that our holiness needs to be perfected.  That word literally means to fulfill further or to bring to completion.

When we bow our knee to Christ, He imparts His holiness into us.  But it doesn’t end there.  This holiness has a work that it needs to accomplish in me.  It is cleaning up my life and setting me apart for God’s exclusive use.

That means that I need to cooperate with God’s plan for me.  This consists of me continually seeking God’s Word and then obeying what I hear.

Most people would agree with this line of thinking.  The challenge comes when we see how Paul then applies this truth.

Make room for us in your hearts.  We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.  I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.  I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you.  I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
2 Corinthians 7:2-4

If you remember the flow of this blog, I’m going through the New Testament in the order that the Holy Spirit revealed it to the church.  So far we’ve gone through groups of books that were foundational.  Then we went through the books that were for personal growth.

Now we’re in the books that deal with our corporate walk – our relationship with the church.

Part of cooperating with the Holy Spirit at work in you is found in your relationship to the body of Christ.  We need each other.  We will never reach our full potential in Christ without being a part of a local body of believers.

We also need pastors, teachers, and other leaders to help mentor us.  That’s what Paul is getting at.  We need each other if we’re going to become the church that Christ is returning for.

Question: How has your growth been affected by other Christians?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 22, 2020 in Encouragement, Fellowship, Relationships, Spiritual Walk

 

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Unequal Yoking

17 Jul

In my last post, we started looking at the issue of unequal yoking.  The Apostle Paul warned us against marriages or business partnerships between a Christian and a non-Christian.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:14-15

The reason is based upon the five words he uses to describe this relationship.  In my last post, I looked at what yoked means.  Today, I’ll deal with the others.

In common.  This is a word that means a sharer or participant.  It means that you both share something.

In this situation, if one participant is being disciplined by God or attacked by the enemy, they both share the results.  I don’t want someone else’s problems to dictate what happens to me.

Fellowship.  This is the Greek word, koinoonía.  It speaks of the fellowship we share as believers.

In Christ, we’re better together than separately.  That’s because of the Holy Spirit living in us.  Without the Spirit of God working in your partner, there can be no true fellowship.

Harmony.  This is a word that’s normally translated as agreement.  It comes from a Greek word that means to sound together.

This is an important difference between believers and the world.  A Christian’s speaking should be based in his faith.  When an unbeliever speaks, it’s usually based on fear, greed, desire, or any of a number of other things.

How we talk creates the environment around us.  Unequal yoking causes a very stress filled atmosphere.

I experienced this firsthand.  For a while, I worked for a startup company whose president was a believer.  Unfortunately, the vice-president was actually anti-Christian.  After a year or two, the tension became unbearable and I had to resign.

In common.  Even though this phrase is used twice, they’re actually two different words in the Greek.  This one means a share or a portion.

There are things I’m expecting and believing to receive from the Lord.  An unbeliever is not in a position to receive some of these things.

Those in the world believe that they have to work for everything they get.  They feel that everything they have is a result of their efforts.  Believers, on the other hand, give glory to God for all good things.  These are two very different mindsets.

As I said when I began this subject in my last post, we have to be very careful in our choices of who we attach ourselves to.  We might just be bringing ourselves unneeded baggage and hurt without even realizing it.

Guard your heart against this problem.

Question: How do you guard your relationships?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 17, 2020 in Faith, Fellowship, Spiritual Walk

 

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Shaken, not Stirred (Repost)

10 Jul

I thought this was good to repost based upon the times we’re living in.

As I was sitting in church a few months back, I received a thought from the Lord. It was a quote from a movie franchise.

Many people are familiar with the secret agent, James Bond. In his movies, he likes his drinks shaken, not stirred. That may be okay for 007, but that’s not what the Lord is looking for in His church. Let me explain.

As I began studying this out in the Scripture, I found that being shaken is not a part of God’s plan for us. As a matter of fact, when God’s people are shaken, it’s a sign that they’re not trusting Him fully. They’re looking for help and security apart from His presence.

In talking about those who reject God, the Psalmist Asaph says…

“They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
Psalm 82:5

If the world is where your hope lies, then you’ll find yourself shaken whenever you hear bad news. Lately, that comes to us pretty often. The world is in chaos right now. No one seems to have the answers.

Contrast that to life in the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28-29

If we’re firmly grounded in Christ, and His Word, then we will not be shaken no matter what happens in society around us. We should, however, be stirred up.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:10-11

When the Lord is present, hearts are stirred. We need the stirring presence of the Holy Spirit to move through the church. That’s when great things begin to happen.

When Israel returned to the Promised Land after their captivity, they were apathetic about the things of God. Then something happened.

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God…
Haggai 1:14

When the Holy Spirit stirs up His people, the miraculous takes place. We start to see the Kingdom of God built up. We see souls coming into the kingdom. We see people being delivered from the chains of demonic oppression.

We need the stirring power of the Holy Spirit to be released in us. The church needs to be stirred, not shaken. Seek the Lord for His move to take place in us.

Question: How would the church look if we were truly stirred by the Spirit?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2020 in Encouragement, Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Teachers in the Church (Repost)

26 Jun

Over the next week or so I’m going to be away, visiting family.  So during that time, I’m reposting one of my more popular series.

In my last post, I mentioned that my anointing is that of a teacher in the body of Christ.  That got me thinking about our view of teaching in the church of today.  I want to take a couple of posts to talk about this.

I believe that a lot of problems we face are directly tied to what we’re being taught.  But let’s start at the beginning.  We really need to understand the importance of teaching from God’s perspective.

As I’ve stated many times in this blog, the form of the New Testament that we use now is not in the order it was given to the church.  Over the years it’s been arranged by topics rather than the original order.

While that may make it easier to find certain passages, we sometimes miss out on some important warnings.  For instance, James was the first book to be written, but because it’s placed close to the end, it doesn’t get a lot of priority.

However, when it comes to teaching in the church, James should be the first book we think of.  In its pages, we find the first thing the Holy Spirit revealed about teachers in the body of Christ.  What do you think that is?

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
James 3:1

Please pay careful attention to the voice of the Spirit.  The first thing He wants you to know about the ministry of a teacher is…that position comes with a stricter judgment.

That’s because the place of a teacher is much more important than most people realize.  Yet in our present church culture, we’ll let anyone teach.  We need so many for Sunday School, Children’s Church, Teens, and Adult classes.

“Everything you need has already been done.  All you have to do is to study the lesson plan at home, and talk about it in class.”

I’m sorry if I’m stereotyping, but here’s what I observe in our present church ministries.  Most teaching is simply passing on what we’ve read or heard from someone else.  We use books, sermons, online tools, and lessons that give us the messages that we, in turn, pass on to those we’re teaching.

That was actually the state of teaching in Israel when Christ came on the scene.  He had a different method.  The Lord only taught those things that He heard from the Father.  What was the response?

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Matthew 7:28-29

The difference was obvious.  He wasn’t simply parroting what someone else was teaching.  He was bringing them a Word from the Father.

That’s where we need to get to in the church today.  We must raise up teachers who walk in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In my next post, I’ll continue with this important truth.

Question: How should the warning of James work in the life of modern teachers?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2020 in Ministry, Spiritual Walk, The Church, Word of God

 

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Power and the Spiritual Weapons

22 Jun

We’re continuing our look at the qualities Paul saw as essential to the ministry.

…in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left…
2 Corinthians 6:7

First of all, you have to understand that the punctuation was added by the translators.  They try to make it as readable as possible.  But sometimes we lose a little of what the original is saying.

What Paul literally wrote is, in the power of God through weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left.

That verse tells me a lot.  It means that I can walk in the power of God.  But the only way to access this power is through the spiritual weapons that God has given us.

The Lord wants His people to walk in His power.  He made it clear when He was preparing His disciples for His departure.

“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

The way we receive this power is through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  This is different than when the Holy Spirit fills us when we are saved.

The word, baptism, means immersion in something.  We are filled with the Spirit at salvation.  We are immersed in the Spirit when we receive the baptism.

When I speak about being baptized in the Spirit, I’m talking about praying in tongues – your heavenly language.  I know that this can be very controversial in the body of Christ.  I’ve also experienced the truth of what I’m saying.

Paul understood this intimately.  He had a very rich prayer life in the spirit.  He was writing to let others know the power that was available to them.

The fact is that prayer in the spirit and the spiritual armor are linked throughout the Scripture.  Paul tells us that we receive the armor of God through prayer in the spirit.  For a detailed discussion of this, click here.

God had made available to us everything we need to defeat the enemy.  It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about our own flesh, the world, or the devil’s kingdom.  We’ve been given the tools to overcome in this life.

That’s the essence of true ministry.  To set captives free through the power of God.  We want to see lives changed and transformed into the image of Christ.  That only happens as we spend time praying in the spirit.

I believe that in these last days before the return of Christ, God is calling His church to once again walk in the fullness of this power.  Let’s spend time seeking God through prayer in the spirit.

Question: How often do you pray in the spirit?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 22, 2020 in Ministry, Power of God, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare

 

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