For a few posts I’ve been talking about the nature of spiritual power. I’ve been using the example of electrical power to explain these truths. We have seen that love is our spiritual “voltage”, while a saved mind is spiritual “current”. In this final post of the series, I’ll talk about the importance of a saved mind.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things…and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Matthew 16:21-23
Peter was acting on the principles of an unsaved mind. This actually caused Peter to rebuke and contradict Jesus.
We can end up in that same state if we don’t allow our minds to be saved and renewed by the Word. We must always check to see what principles we’re acting on. Are they the truth of God’s Word, or the principles of the world system?
Don’t get into the position where you contradict the Word of God, because you’re acting out your own human wisdom.
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”
Matthew 13:22
This verse shows the result of an unsaved mind. Your actions will be based upon worries, the desire for riches and pleasures, rather than the will of God. A mind choked by the cares of this world is unfruitful, even if we’re hearing the Word of God.
Unfruitful means that the Word does not produce any change in our lives. If change is not being produced, then that, by definition, is powerlessness.
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else…
Galatians 6:3-4a
If you find yourself in this state of powerlessness, don’t add the condition of self-deception to it. Take stock of your life. Do you see the marks of the power of God or not? Is there room for improvement? If so, then allow the working of the Holy Spirit to move you into a closer walk with the Lord.
Don’t be satisfied with the same old mediocre walk that most of Christianity calls normal in this generation. Break free from that mold and seek the power of God to flow freely through your life. It all depends upon your attitude and your willingness to humble yourself before a holy God who already knows your condition.
Question: Do you desire the power of God in your life? What’s your next step to walking in it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: choked, closer walk, current, electrical current, electrical power, get rid of powerlessness, Holy Spirit, love, mediocre, nature of power, pleasures, power, power of God spiritual power, powerlessness, producing change, renewed mind, riches, saved mind, self-deception, truth of God's word, unfruitful, unsaved mind, voltage, word of God, world system, worries
Spending time in God’s presence is not an option, if we want to hear from God. As we quiet ourselves in His presence we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly.
The question is, what happens when you leave the place of prayer? Do you remember what you heard in the Lord’s presence a week later? How about a month or even a year later? How can you thank God for fulfilling His word to you, if you don’t remember what He’s said?
As you seek the Lord’s presence, you’ll find more and more that He wants to speak to you. He wants us to be a people who hear His voice.
Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”
Habakkuk 2:2
It’s God’s desire to reveal Himself to all believers. If you’re listening, you may receive a word from Him concerning your personal walk, your home life, your ministry, or your career. The Holy Spirit may speak to you about new ventures to launch or old things to cut out of your life. The point is, whenever you hear from God for your life, write it down!
It doesn’t matter if you’re sure it was God’s voice, or if it was only a slight impression. Maybe your heart was stirred over a certain passage of Scripture. Perhaps you feel a leading to do something new for God. It doesn’t matter how weak or strong the feeling is – it needs to be recorded.
So often we miss out on God’s best because we forget what we heard, or we alter it along the way. It’s good to be able to look back in a journal and see the conversations we’ve had with the Lord. Make it a point to bring a journal along with you in your prayer times – and use it to record what you’ve learned.
Very often, I look back through my journals. It gives me encouragement as well as insight onto the path God has me on. I need to review the things I’ve learned in the presence of God.
Keep your eyes and ears open. God will speak to someone who is prepared to listen. Keeping a journal shows that you value the voice of the Lord. Begin today recording what you learn in your private times with Him.
Question: Do you keep a spiritual journal? How has it helped you?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: diary, God's best, heart, Holy Spirit, intimacy with God, journal, keep a spiritual journal, leading, look back, Lord's presence, revealed word, spiritual diary, spiritual journal, word from God, write it down
I am hoping to wrap up my talk about faith with this post. I hope that by now it’s obvious that faith is an on-going process of discovery and response. It’s how we continue to grow in our walk with Christ.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:1-2
Actually, even though I usually like the NIV, it’s not really a good translation of verse 2. The KJV is a little closer in saying that the ancients “obtained a good report.” Literally, the verse says that in faith, the elders witnessed.
We must go from being a discoverer to a witness. Let’s talk about our good friend Christopher Columbus again. In my last post I talked about him coming to the New World and discovering America. At some point he returned home.
At that point he has become a witness of what no one else in Europe has ever seen. He tells anyone who would listen, “I’ve seen a New World. I’ve discovered a land that no European has ever been to before.”
In the same way, faith is your witness. Every time you see something new about Christ, you choose to respond to it. You believe this new truth and embrace it. As you begin to put your confidence in it, you become a witness to this truth.
In the last post I used the example of hearing for the first time that Christ is the Healer. The Holy Spirit makes it real to you through the discovery of faith. You then go out and begin to share with others that Christ is the healer, even if you’ve never been healed.
It’s not a matter of, “Well, the pastor preached about it so I guess it’s true.” On the contrary – it’s on the inside of you. Then, when you need it, it’s there to heal you.
If you lay hold of each new truth, you will continue to trust Christ even if the enemy tries to knock your faith out of your hand. That’s why it’s so important that we see faith as a walk and not just an event.
The fact is, “we walk by faith and not by sight.” It’s time for believers to pick up their shields and move forward. Then, we must never back down, but respond in faith to each new discovery of the Word of God.
Question: How has your faith in Christ brought you through in your hard times?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: be a good witness, Christ, Columbus, discoverer, discovery, embrace the truth, faith, growth, healer, Holy Spirit, never back down, respond in faith, response, share, truth, walk by faith, walk in Christ, witness
Psalm 107:4-9
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Many times I read the news of someone who is missing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Being lost in the wilderness is a frightening experience. When this happens, there is no course of action that is worse than wandering aimlessly. The best thing to do is either to stay put and wait for help, or to walk downhill and down stream.
As we look around at our society, we see many people who are wandering aimlessly with their lives. Without a compass or a direction for their soul, they live and die without ever reaching their destiny. It should be the number one priority to find your purpose in life.
This is why quality time with the Creator is so important in the life of a believer. It gives you the chance to set your heading with the Word of God and through prayer. Only by finding your God-given destiny will you be assured of living a life that means something.
Don’t allow yourself to live a life of wandering. Go before the Lord today and seek His plan for your life. Obtain vision from His hand. Live a life that reaps eternal benefits.
Tags: Bible, calling, compass, destiny, direction, God's plan, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, lost, mountain, prayer, presence of the lord, purpose in life, spiritual direction, wandering, wandering aimlessly
Jonah 4:3-5
“Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
If you haven’t noticed – sometimes our attitudes stink. There are times when we are mad at God, just like Jonah. He was upset because God was not going to destroy the city of Nineveh.
I have found the same things to be true in my experience. God doesn’t always carry out my plans the way I want Him to. He seems to never even consider my timetable.
Jonah found out how devastating it is when we desire God to do something that’s not in His will for our lives. Jonah’s response was to run away to a lonely hillside. Once there, he erected a shelter and waited. In spite of his attitude, God met with him there. Although the Lord didn’t say what Jonah wanted to hear, He was able to redirect some of Jonah’s thinking.
Maybe you have an attitude toward God about some things that have (or haven’t) happened in your life. These could be bad news, life altering events or unfulfilled dreams. Whatever they consist of, take them to the Lord.
Use your time in His presence to really wait before Him for an answer. Spend some quality time before the Lord. Let God redirect and refocus your life. Only then can you overcome the problems of the past and make a fresh start.
Tags: attitude, attitudes, bad attitude, distractions, God's faithfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jonah, Nineveh, presence of the lord, problems, redirect, refocus, wait on God
Hebrews 12:22-25
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
In the pages of Scripture, Mount Zion was called the Mountain of God. It was a place where the presence of God was felt very powerfully.
I’m so glad that the presence of the Lord is no longer confined to a specific place. That being said, there have been times in my life when I have encountered the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Other times He spoke with a “still, small voice.” When we come to Him in an attitude of expectation, He will speak to our hearts.
There is one thing I have learned in these encounters. When I hear His voice I must be quick to say, “Yes, Lord!” Sometimes He speaks a hard word – a word that calls for change – as He did many times in Israel’s history. Change is never easy, but when ordained by God, it’s for the best.
Seek to spend quality time in the presence of the Lord. But more than that; when He speaks to you, be the one who is ready and willing to agree with His plan for your life.
Tags: change, expectation, glory, God's plan, God's will, heart, Holy Spirit, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Mount Zion, mountain, mountain of God, mountaintop, presence of the lord, still small voice, testimony
Genesis 16:13-14
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
We serve a God of many names. It is beyond the capability of human speech to adequately describe Him in one simple name. Each time someone met the God of Heaven and earth, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to refer to Him by a new name.
He was called Jehovah Rapha, “God my Healer;” El Elyon, “God Most High;” and Addonai, “God Almighty”, just to name a few. Here Hagar has just come face to face with a new revelation of her Creator. She knows Him as “The God Who sees me.”
What an awesome thought. This is the God who created the universe, the One who upholds all things by His mighty power, the King of kings that sits enthroned above the earth. Yet in spite of all His glory, He sees me.
Think of it. God does not only see us, He sees me – personally. He knows my joys, hurts, frustrations, victories, and needs. The Lord knows me more intimately than I know myself.
As you go before Him today, acknowledge Him as the One who sees everything about you. This will allow you to rest in His holy presence, knowing that He cares about everything that concerns you. Bask in the assurance of His love for you.
Tags: destiny, encouragement, fellowship, God sees me, God's faithfulness, God's love, God's will, Holy Spirit, names of God, personal, running away, sees everything, trust
Genesis 16:9-10
Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.”
I don’t know about you, but I hate getting instructions like that. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case in life. The only way forward is to go back.
I have learned this the hard way on many occasions. I love to go on road trips with my wife. Most of the time it’s great fun. However, there have been times when I have missed an exit or a road I needed to go down.
That’s when the “man pride” starts to kick in. Do I keep going forward as if nothing’s wrong? Do I humble myself, admit the problem, and turn around? Sometimes it can be a hard decision.
Backtracking is never easy to do. It requires you to acknowledge that you’re not perfect. But, the fact is that not turning around can compound the problem. If I hadn’t gone back to the right exit, who knows where I would have ended up.
In life, don’t be too proud to backtrack. Sometimes you need to find the place where you last knew you were in God’s plan. If you find yourself a little “lost” in life, take the time to go before the Lord and seek His wisdom to get you back on track. Don’t be too afraid or proud to work on the areas He speaks to you about. Do what is needed to bring restoration.
Tags: backtrack, calling, destiny, go back, God's will, God's wisdom, Holy Spirit, humble myself, lost, path, pride, restoration, running away, turn around, victory
Exodus 34:29-30
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
Having spent time on a mountaintop with God, Moses’ face began to shine with a radiance like that of the sun. It was so bright that it caused the Israelites to fear even being near him. There was no doubt about it. Moses was changed, inside and out.
When you spend quality, intimate, time with the Lord, people will begin to notice a change in you. Your face will probably not begin to glow. But just like Moses began to reflect the glory of God, your life will begin to reflect Christ in a new and more powerful way. As a matter of fact, you may not notice the change as much as your family and friends will.
We all have areas in our lives that need change. Sometimes we try to do it on our own. Usually we fail – we are not strong enough. Lasting change comes from a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The kind of work that requires a freedom from distractions. This means that you must have a “secret place” to get alone with Christ.
Spend some time with the Lord today. Open up your life to Him so that He might work in you. Yield your desires to the Lord that He might shed His transforming power upon your heart. Let lasting change begin today.
Tags: change, Christ, disciple, glory, Holy Spirit, inside and out, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, prayer, presence of the lord, reflect Christ, reflect the glory
Isaiah 2:2-3
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
When the temple was established in Jerusalem, no gentile could ever enter it, no matter how devout they were. Temple worship was the exclusive right of the nation of Israel.
Things are different now. Because of what Christ has done, all nations may now enter the invisible, holy temple of God. We can now climb the heights to His very presence. What was formerly impossible is now accessible by grace.
It is now possible to sit at the feet of the Lord and allow Him to teach you His ways. Even when the temple was open to Israel, only the priests had that privilege. Now, because of the cross, we can all experience the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Make that climb today, to the top, to the mountain of God’s temple. Approach the majestic presence of the Creator of all things. Worship at His feet, for He is worthy to receive it. Wait on Him, for His Spirit to move upon your heart. Lives are forever changed up on that mountain. Let yours be one of them.
Tags: accessible, Bible, calling, changed lives, Christ, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's temple, higher, holy, Holy Spirit, holy temple, holy worship, intimacy, invisible, Jesus Christ, mountain, power, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, temple, victory
For a few posts I’ve been talking about the nature of spiritual power. I’ve been using the example of electrical power to explain these truths. We have seen that love is our spiritual “voltage”, while a saved mind is spiritual “current”. In this final post of the series, I’ll talk about the importance of a saved mind.
The Spirit and the Word 