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Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

Unseeing the Seen

04 Feb

MountainI’m starting to understand the prophet Isaiah a little better lately. I’ve always wondered what it must have been like to have a calling like his. To hear from God and yet know that most of the nation of Israel would ignore your message. That was a tough calling to walk in.

Of all the Israelites living at that time, Isaiah was probably the most committed to the ways of the Lord. Yet when he had a face to face encounter with God, his reaction was immediate.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 6:5

The fact is that the prophet had received a view of the very throne room of God. He saw the Seraphim declaring the holiness of the Lord. He saw the glory, might, and perfection of the one true God.

The whole experience was overwhelming to his senses. That’s what made him cry out from the depths of his being.

“Woe to me! I am ruined!”

In that moment he saw the perfection of the Kingdom of God in stark contrast to the level at which he and the children of Israel were living at that time. When he said, “I am ruined,” I don’t think that he meant he was going to be judged and killed by God.

It’s more than that. He knew that from that point on, he could never go back to what his life was like even one day before. He could never unsee what he has just witnessed. The vision of the exalted Lord would overshadow everything he did from that day forward.

That’s why we need to see God’s vision for our lives. It changes everything and propels us forward.

It’s why I can’t stop praying for and speaking about revival. In my spirit, the Lord has shown me the victorious church. I’ve seen God’s people hearing a clear Word from God and walking in it. Through the eyes of faith I see a mighty manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power. It’s on the way.

Sure, I get frustrated when I see how far I am from where I need to be. I wonder how Christ will ever bring His church to this level.

But I can’t stop now. I can’t unsee what I’ve seen in the spirit. Though I’ve sometimes thought about what it would be like if I was just a normal person sitting in a pew each week. Smiling, clapping, and singing on Sunday; then chasing the world for the rest of the week.

I know in my heart that could never happen. I’ve seen the glory of God manifest in His church. I can’t stop moving forward until that day arrives.

We need vision. It only comes from time in the presence of the Holy Spirit. That where we see the unseen. Then, once you’ve seen it – God’s will for your life – you’ll never be the same.

Question: What’s the vision God’s placed in your heart?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2015 in Faith, Power of God, Prayer, Revival

 

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Look at Me when I’m Speaking to You

02 Feb

BeamI live in the Boston area. Maybe you’ve heard what our weather’s been like lately. Last week we had two feet of snow and now they’re calling for another foot this week.

Needless to say, I’m ready for spring. I love to go out into the woods to hike and pray. It’s a great way to meet with the Lord.

Did you know that this was a large part of Jesus’ ministry?

At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Luke 4:42-44

Very frequently Jesus went off alone into the wilderness. Usually He would go to pray and to meditate on the Word while seeking the Father’s will for the days ahead. Many times He wouldn’t even tell anyone where He was going. This caused the people and especially His disciples to become annoyed on more than one occasion.

Most people don’t understand the power of solitude with the Lord. When you’re alone in God’s presence, you can see the way ahead more clearly. This is because there are less distractions around you.

I’ve been driving in the car with friends and talked with them the whole way to where we were going. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that those conversations aren’t very deep. I can talk and keep my eyes on the road if I don’t have to think very hard.

Intimate conversation, on the other hand, is very different. If what I’m saying is important, then I want you to make eye contact with me. I want to know that you’re giving me your full attention.

It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. We can pray and praise the Lord no matter what we’re doing throughout the day. That’s fine and it keeps our minds focused on Him.

But there comes a time when we need to enter a more intimate time with Christ – worship. This requires an undistracted heart. I’ve found that the outdoors provides just such an experience. It allows me to “make eye contact” with the Lord.

From the example of Christ, we see that walking in the Spirit is a lot more efficient than the trial and error method many Christians use.

“I’ll try going forward; if the door closes I’ll try another direction.”

When you spend quality time with the Lord seeking His will for your life, you don’t have to waste your time on all these dead end paths that lead nowhere. Jesus knew where He was going before He was surrounded by the crowd. Then they couldn’t sway Him from His path by their persuasive arguments. It’s that level of guidance you should be seeking from God.

If you’ve never tried it, spend some time with the Holy Spirit in the outdoors. Of course, you may have to wait until the weather breaks. Unless you’re like me and can’t wait. (I have a good pair of snowshoes!)

Find a nice solitary place that you can come undistracted into the Lord’s presence. You won’t be disappointed.

Question: Where do you go to seek God with no distractions?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2015 in Prayer, Times in the Wilderness, Worship

 

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Prepared in the Evil Day

26 Jan

 

ClockI want to see revival in the church. It’s obvious from what’s happening around us that we need it. The real question is; do we want it? And more than that, are we willing to do what it takes to lay hold of it?

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16

I used to teach that inanimate things couldn’t be evil or good. After spending some time studying this verse, I realized that I was wrong. Things like days and money can be evil. It’s actually talked about throughout the New Testament.

Maybe you might think that not all days are evil. After all, there was intense persecution of the church back then. That was Paul’s day he was talking about.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…
Galatians 1:3-4

One of the reasons that Christ went to the cross was to rescue us from this present evil age. That’s the time we live in.   The age he’s talking about stretched from Paul’s day to the time when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom. If the age is evil, then all the days of that age are evil.

We live in evil days. Paul also talked about this in regard to the armor of God.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13

We need to be constantly walking in the spiritual armor. This is our protection from the evil age. This is not an option, or something that only needs to be done once in a while.

Jesus went to the cross to provide us with more than just a one-time salvation. His work is ongoing in our lives. He provided us with the armor we need to rescue us from this present evil age. We don’t need to be affected by it.

When will the evil day come? Every time you wake up in the morning. That’s why God’s armor is so important. The evil day is not on its way, it’s here.

As God’s people we should be prepared for what’s ahead. We are the ones who should be walking in victory over the challenges that face the world around us.

We need to spend time in the presence of the Lord. That’s where our strength is. In Him and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I have everything I need to face the evil days ahead of me.

How else could I walk in victory? If every day is evil, then in Christ every day is a victory through Him who gives me strength.

Question: How does this evil age manifest itself in our generation?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 26, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

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It’s Not Magic

23 Jan

PowerlessThis is the final post in a series about spiritual warfare. Specifically talking about the helmet and the sword of the spirit. They correspond to the power and authority of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

We need to understand that in God’s kingdom power flows through authority.

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Matthew 8:8-9

The centurion understood the principles of power and authority. Just say the WORD. He knew what it meant to be under authority. Notice that he didn’t say that he was a man in authority. It was because of the authority he was under that he could say, “Do this,” and see it happen.

So if we say, “Be healed,” and nothing happens; what’s the problem? I think it’s an issue of authority and power.

To use power we must line up with authority. We sometimes think that the subject of authority and submission is not a big deal. Things like…

Where I go to church. How I respond to leadership. Where do I fit in ministry? Or even submission within the family.

And I agree. These aren’t a big deal. They don’t cause us to lose our salvation. Unless you want to walk in the power of God.

One of the hallmarks of this generation of Christianity is a lot of talk and no power. We even have a lot of faith and no power.

We sometimes think that if we can say the right words, we’ll receive our miracle. The truth is that the reason the words work is because you’re correctly lined up under authority.

I’ve heard people say, “The Word doesn’t work.” Please understand, the Word of God is not a magic spell like in the movies. That may be what we want the Word to work like.

There’s no magic in the words. The authority and power rests in God. Unless we correctly align with Him, we have no power and authority that activates the Word.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
1 Corinthians 4:20-21

We have to realize this truth. Talk is not enough. If you want power – you must be in position. You need to get yourself rightly aligned under the authority of God.

God’s church needs to walk in this right now. There’s no time to waste. We need the power of God. That’s what will change lives and usher in a harvest of souls in our generation.

Question: How do I align myself under God’s authority?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 23, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

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Is Faith Enough?

21 Jan

Different AnointingIn my last post I began talking about the spiritual helmet and sword. I said that they correspond to our power and authority in the Holy Spirit.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

The truth is that power and authority must be used together. I believe that’s why this verse says to take them at the same time. All the other pieces of armor are taken and described separately.

It was true in the life of Christ as well as now, through Him, in the church.

…to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Jude 25

It’s interesting that we’re told to take them. The responsibility is on us. Of course, this is after the shield of faith is lifted up before us.

Sometimes we seem to think it’s all about faith. In reality, faith is just the start. It’s only when we decide to trust God that the battle starts to become fierce.

It’s as we walk in faith that the enemy takes notice of us. Look at the life of Jesus.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!”
Luke 4:36

What does it take to drive out a demon? Obviously Jesus had faith – was that enough? Is faith and authority enough? No! It took faith, authority and power to cast out a demon.

It’s no different for us. Authority and power are what’s needed for miracles to be manifest in the church. Faith goes without saying.

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:1-2

They were given detailed orders. Drive out demons. Heal the sick. Preach the good news. Later in this chapter of Luke they were told not to take money with them – they were to trust God’s provision.

All of these things are wrapped up in power and authority.

It’s funny how many in the body of Christ are running after things. We seek healing, miracles, and financial blessing. What we should be pressing into is the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. If I can come into correct relationship with Him, then the rest will naturally be there.

Question: How can I enter the flow of the Holy Spirit’s power and authority?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 21, 2015 in Faith, Power of God, Spiritual Warfare

 

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Transformed by the Spirit

16 Jan

GalaxyI’m posting about Christ as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In my last article I showed how Christ walked in the power of this baptism as our example.

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.”
John 3:34

This is what the Lord said about Himself. Jesus had unlimited access to the Spirit.

I’ve heard people use this verse as if it only applies to Christ. Think about what it means to have the Spirit without measure.

Maybe you’ve seen the example of the glass that’s full of water. That’s like us being filled with the Spirit. Then if you take that same glass and immerse it in a fish tank; that shows what the baptism in the Spirit is like. I’ve used this example many times.

How much water does the glass have in the fish tank? There’s no way to measure it. That’s what Christ is talking about. He was the first one to experience a life that was baptized in the Spirit.

In talking about this to the disciples, the Lord said…

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:38

This can happen because I live in two realms. In the spiritual world I live immersed in the Spirit – the living water Christ talked about. In the physical, this water gushes out and is evident to those around me.

It doesn’t matter how much power I have to put out in ministry, in the spiritual it’s without limit. The truth is that we have that same unlimited access – if we live an immersed life.

But that’s not the best part, in my opinion! At one point Jesus took the three closest disciples up on a mountain to pray.

As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Luke 9:29

This verse literally says that He was changed as He prayed and His face became different. Jesus was transformed by the Spirit. He had no sinful flesh as we do. But as He prayed His flesh, His physical appearance, was changed. He was transformed to a higher, more glorious appearance.

We’re told in Scripture that God desires to take us from glory to glory. How will this happen? I believe it’s through prayer in the Spirit. It will be accomplished through living an immersed life.

That’s why an understanding of the gift of the Spirit is so vitally important to this generation. We need it. In order to transform the church we need a manifestation of the power of God. We need the Holy Spirit’s life changing work.

It will only come as God’s people press in and do what Jesus did. Live a lifestyle of prayer in the spirit – a life of immersion.

Question: What will it take for you to live a life of immersion in the Holy Spirit?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 16, 2015 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, The Church

 

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Christ Our Example

14 Jan

JesusI’m posting about Christ as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In my last article we saw how Jesus manifested the power of the Spirit. How else did this power reveal itself?

The Lord healed the sick, but they did that in the Old Testament as well. Here are some other manifestations of the Spirit in His life.

One time, when dealing with the Pharisees, we’re told…

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?”
Mark 2:8

The Holy Spirit gave Christ the supernatural knowledge of what the Pharisees were thinking.

Another time, when the Lord went to the grave of His friend, Lazarus, the Scripture gives us some insight.

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
John 11:33

Literally this verse says that He groaned in the spirit and was stirred up. That’s the same thing the Word says about us. (Romans 8:26) We’re told that the Spirit uses groans that cannot be put into words. I believe one of the secrets to His power was His sensitivity to the move of the Spirit within Him.

In His ministry, Jesus sent out 72 men to go throughout Israel and preach. One day they came back and reported what happened.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”
Luke 10:21

The literal Greek of this verse will probably offend the legalistic, churchy crowd. It reads that Jesus jumped for joy, danced, and spun around in the Spirit. Many folks do not want to hear that Christ danced in the Spirit, but that’s exactly what He did. I believe that it happened on more than one occasion.

Let’s look at one more example. Once when Jesus preached in the wilderness, it started to get late. He sent the disciples across the lake in a boat. Then He dismissed the crowd.

After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them…
Mark 6:46-48

Christ saw the disciples. Miles away, at night, and in a storm. He didn’t see this with His physical eyes. It was revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit as the Lord prayed up on that mountain.

These are the same manifestations we see in believers who are baptized – immersed in the spirit. We should be doing the same things that Jesus did.

But in order for this to happen, we have to walk the same walk. We need the power of an immersed life.

Question: How would our evangelism be different if we walked as Christ did?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 14, 2015 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit

 

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Christ the Baptizer

12 Jan

 

DoveI believe that America is ripe for revival. I also believe that prayer in the spirit will play a major role in this move. John the Baptist preached about this subject.

And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:7-8

We will need an understanding of this if we’re going to flow in revival to the level God desires. I want to take a few posts to talk about Christ, the Baptizer. He’s the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

But there’s a question that this brings up. How can Christ do that if He wasn’t baptized Himself? I believe that Jesus was baptized in the Spirit and prayed in the spirit.

Of course Jesus prayed in the spirit without the manifestation of tongues. The reason for this is that speaking in tongues is the reaction of our sinful flesh to the work of the Spirit. Our flesh can’t comprehend what’s happening when we pray in the spirit.

In the Gospels, we see John the Baptist witnessing something unique.

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”
John 1:32-33

This was unheard of in their day – the Holy Spirit remaining upon a person. This was the point where Jesus was baptized in the Spirit. I believe that from this day forward, Jesus prayed in the spirit.

But I think that the key word here is remained. The Holy Spirit remained upon the Lord and Jesus remained in the Spirit.

That’s something we need to see the importance of. Very often we think that what Jesus did was a special case. He said that the same works He did, we would do. But in order for that to happen it will take the same preparation.

We need the same remaining in the Spirit. You could also call it immersion in the Spirit.

Before He ascended to the Father, Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this gift. Don’t preach, don’t make disciples, don’t do anything, just wait.

“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

That was fulfilled in the baptism found in Acts chapter 2.

What about Jesus. He was baptized by John who testified that the Spirit remained on Him. Then Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days. There, the Lord was tempted by the devil himself, yet…

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Luke 4:14

What power did He walk in? The power of His immersion in the Spirit.   We need this same power to be evident in our lives. We must remain in the Holy Spirit.

Question: How does Christ exemplify the Christian walk?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2015 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival

 

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Authority and Sonship

03 Dec

 

DoveI’m taking a few posts to talk about the principle of Sonship. We’ve been given this position by adoption into the family of God.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10

I’ve heard many people preach on this verse. For the most part we take it out of context and miss what it’s really saying. Indeed, we’re told that we have the power to receive answered prayers, to find that which is hidden, and to open doors that seem impenetrable.

But we must ask; what is this authority based upon? If we would just read the next few verses, we’d see that Jesus gives us the guidelines for this type of power.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:11-13

It’s obvious that Jesus is talking about the authority of Sonship in this passage. He tells us that we’re asking for the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit that then confers upon us the Spirit of Sonship. Once that’s in place, and I’m walking as a mature son, then I’m free to ask, seek, and knock as led by the Spirit of God.

In many cases our trouble is that we don’t ask for the Spirit. We want to do it our way. We want what our earthly desires are prompting us to seek for. Then we end up begging God for a snake or a scorpion. It’s no wonder why we don’t get most of what we pray for.

The simple fact is that true authority resides in the correct use of mature sonship. There was another time in Jesus’ ministry when He was talking about being a disciple. He said that if you were truly His disciple, then the truth would set you free.

The religious community – those who continued to rely upon the power of the law – were outraged. “We are sons of Abraham, and have never been a slave to anyone,” they replied.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:34-36

I’m sure that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law had no clue what the Lord was talking about when He said this. To us, however, it should be rich in meaning. The words of Christ tell me that Sonship is a position of freedom.

We’ve been set free because of the authority of Christ. We are no longer under the bondages of sin, the world or the devil. What we need is the maturity to walk in it.

Question: What does it mean to be free in Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on December 3, 2014 in Power of God, Revival, Sonship

 

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You Can Change Your Family

01 Dec

 

Jet Plane to NowhereI’m posting about Sonship and how it’s a part of God’s plan to work in His people. The Lord is leading us from glory to glory.

By the way, you may notice that I mostly use the word son, rather than sons and daughters. Check out my post, Sonship Includes Women Too, to see why I do that.

In speaking about Sonship, it’s the very reason why God has called pastors into the ministry. Our calling is to help the process of becoming like Christ. Paul speaks of this in his letter to the Ephesians. He says that the ministry gifts (of which pastoring is a part) are given…

…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12-13

The goal then, for every believer, is to be like Jesus. This means we’re to talk like Him, work like Him and love like Him. Jesus Himself said that we were to do His works.

It’s the work of the Holy Spirit in us to achieve this result. But, in order for that to happen, we must cooperate with Him. It’s at this point – me cooperating with the Spirit of Christ – that the life changing power of God manifests. As this takes place it becomes evident to those around that we are walking as sons of God.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:12-13

This verse should cause us to jump up and praise the Lord. The implications alone are staggering. The word right in this verse is the Greek word exusia. It literally means that we have the authority or permission to be God’s children.

If you remember, authority means that we have the right to use power. This means that because God has adopted us, we have the right to use the power of a son of God. Sonship, then, is a position of authority.

But now, notice what this entails. In order to walk in the authority associated with Sonship, we must receive Him and put our faith in His name. When we asked Christ to be our Lord and Savior we took on a new family name. We now are of the household of Christ – we are Christians.

When you’re a member of a family you always carry with you the authority and the power of your family name. This is true whether your name is Smith or Trump. We now carry the family name of He who spoke the world into existence. Yet for the most part we live in spiritual defeat. It’s time for us to rise up and be who God has destined us to be.

Question: What does the word Christian mean to you?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on December 1, 2014 in Power of God, Sonship, The Church

 

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