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Where is your God? #prayforrevival

06 Jan

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAs I was reading in Psalms the other day, I came across this question.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?
Psalm 42:5a

Are you downcast over the society we find ourselves in?  Are you worried about the future?  You’re not alone.  Many find themselves in this position.  It’s what you do about it that counts.

The writers of this Psalm felt the same way.  So much so, that they asked this question twice in this small passage.  You’ll find they ask this in both verse 5 and verse 11.

I also noticed something else in this section of Scripture.  Twice, in verse 3 and verse 10, the world asks a question of us.

My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Psalm 42:3

This seems to be the cause of their downcast soul.  I believe that it’s affecting the church today as well.  We’re so worried about looking foolish in the eyes of the world.

As they taunt us – “Where is your God?”, we slip back into the shadows so that we won’t be hurt by their actions.  That’s when we find ourselves depressed and confused over the spiritual condition of our nation.

I believe that this Psalm holds the answer to the problem.  The second half of verses 5 and 11 says…

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalms 42:5b

Put your hope, your expectation, in what God promises His people.  In that way you’ll have a better attitude over the situation we’re in.

But sometimes that’s easier said than done.  How do we put our hope in God in the midst of the taunts of the world?

There’s more to this Psalm.  The solution is simple, yet we have a hard time with it.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalms 42:1-2

This is the key to a victorious attitude in an ungodly culture.  We hear what the world is telling us – the taunts and ridicule.  It depresses and disturbs us.  But there’s another response that it should summon up in us.

The state of our society should drive us to our knees.  It should push us into the presence of the living God.  We need to let the condition of the world light a fire for Christ in our hearts.  Only then will we place our expectation in what the Lord is about to do.

It’s time for God’s people to wake up from their slumber and affect our culture with the Word of God.  That will only happen as we spend quality time in the Lord’s presence.

Question: How are you affected by the society you live in?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2014 in Encouragement, Revival

 

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A Prophecy for 2014 #prayforrevival

03 Jan

ClockI have found that the Psalms have lined up with current affairs since the year 1900.  Over the past 10 years or so I have preached from a Psalm each year and it’s been amazingly accurate.  The Psalm for this year is Psalm 114.

When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue…
Psalm 114:1

This psalm uses both Israel and Jacob.  They refer to the same person, yet they’re different.  He started out as Jacob, but his name was changed after an encounter with God.  His new name, Israel, literally means conquered by God.

The Lord knows where you’re at.  It’s time to go deeper.  There’s a call going forth this year for the church to leave Egypt.  We’re too much a part of our society.  It’s time for us to break from the world.

Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
Psalms 114:2

But the Lord starts where you’re at.  Israel is the whole nation.  If you’re part of the crowd, then become God’s dominion.  We’re not living for ourselves like the world does.  We must come under the dominion of the King.

Judah refers to the tribe from whom the kings were chosen.  They consistently served the king.  There are those who have set apart Christ as Lord.  For these believers there’s a further step.

You must become God’s sanctuary.  Literally – God’s clean, holy place.  It’s one thing to see yourself as owned by God, another to see yourself as His sanctuary.

The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
Psalms 114:3-4

This is the miraculous intervention of God.  But it’s not just for survival.  This is God’s intervention for a people who are moving forward.  God wants to do the miraculous for those who are obedient.

The sea refers to the Red Sea.  This was for those who chose to leave Egypt.  If you choose to make a break with the world, then God will give you supernatural assistance to do it.

Becoming His sanctuary is crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.  If you want to take that step, then God will supernaturally open up the way.

The key is that you have to take the first step.  Israel didn’t wait for the sea to open up before they left Egypt.  Then, when they got to the Jordan River, they had to step in before it parted.  We need to make the first move by faith.

Then you’ll get to the mountains and hills skipping.  That’s the new things that God wants to do once you’ve surrendered to His will.

Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?
Psalms 114:5-6

Now a question is asked.  Why is God making it as easy as possible for us to obey His call?

It’s getting late; His coming is drawing close.  We need to prepare for the final harvest.  We’re partying in the house, while the grain is starting to rot in the field.

20 years ago this was largely an anti-spiritual society.  The concept of God or miracles was distasteful to the world.  Now the entertainment industry is all about magic, vampires, werewolves, zombies, and superheroes.

That’s actually a cry for the supernatural.  But the church must wake up to show what’s true.  There’s a reason God wants to perform miracles.  It’s to bring people to the cross.

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.
Psalms 114:7-8

God wants to get the world’s attention.  He does this by bringing the refreshing waters of revival to the church.

It seems like I preach this every year.  But that’s because this has been God’s call for many years.  Every year revival depends on our response.

It’s time to see the hand of God at work.  If we will become God’s dominion, God’s sanctuary, then we will see a miraculous revival in our land.

Question: What does it take to see a revival?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2014 in Revival, The Church

 

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Are You Plugged in to Christ? #powerofGod

30 Dec

PlugI have been posting about how to walk in righteousness and the power of God.  It should be obvious by now that we must rest, remain, abide in Christ.  That’s the place we receive His power.  Once we have the power we need, we’re able to live righteously.

When I’m saved, I’m made righteous by an impartation from God.  He does this so that I can receive His power by the Holy Spirit who now resides in me.

By drawing upon that power I can now live righteously before Him.  Without the power of the Spirit, I have no hope of ever pleasing the Lord with a walk of righteousness.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18

I can’t make myself walk in righteousness.  My flesh will never be able to fix itself.  My only hope is in the power of the Spirit.

I want to sum up the truths that we’ve learned with an illustration the Lord gave me.  Think about a living room with a TV and a lamp.  There’s also an extension chord with a power strip on it plugged into an electrical outlet.

The extension cord will represent our relationship with Christ.  If the plug is attached to the outlet, we’re remaining in Christ, if not then we’re on our own.

The TV is the miraculous – healings, provision, etc.  The lamp is our righteousness – living rightly before God.  Both of these items must be powered by our relationship with the Lord.  They are both plugged into the power strip.

We’ve noticed that if the lamp works, then the TV works as well.  A life that has the miraculous in operation also is becoming more and more like Jesus.

We’ve also noticed that if the TV isn’t working, then the lamp isn’t either.  The TV and the lamp always work together, so we assume that it’s the lamp that’s running the TV.

This is why so many Christians assume that it’s the walk of righteousness that brings the power for the miraculous.  The fact is, that both are powered by the same plug – our relationship with Christ.

So, do we try to increase our intimacy with Christ?  No.  Instead we try to artificially power the lamp through the battery power of the law.  We preach that the people need to live right to see the miraculous.  We tell them that it’s because we’re not living up to the rules that the church has no power.

By doing this, we actually get the lamp to appear to be lit.  What we don’t realize is that it’s not the power of the Spirit that’s working, but our own self-righteousness powered by the law.  Since the power chord of our relationship is not plugged into Christ, the manifestation of God’s power through healing and miracles does not exist.  That’s when all of the excuses start as to why there are no healings, signs, or wonders in the church anymore.

In order for the power of God to flow into your life, you must be intimate in your relationship with Christ.  The flow of power does not depend upon how good you act.  It’s your intimacy with Christ that will bring about both the miraculous and the walk of righteousness that the Savior has called you to manifest.

Question: How intimate is your relationship to Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on December 30, 2013 in Legalism, Power of God

 

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You are not like Moses

27 Dec

MountainThe Apostle Paul explained to the early church about the fallacy that obeying the Law of Moses will give you access to the power of God.  In my last post we looked at this verse…

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.  But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.  It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:13-14

Paul says that their minds, or literally their perceptions, were made dull, hardened, and callous.  Then he makes a statement that we miss the implications to altogether.  He says that to this day the veil remains when the Old Covenant is read.  IT HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED.

I have heard preachers talk about this and refer it to Jews who don’t understand that Jesus is the Messiah.  The truth goes so much deeper than this.  Remember, Paul is writing to believers in this passage.  He makes no qualifications as to who the veil is covering.

He says, without any adjusting of the statement, that whenever the Old Covenant is read, the veil remains.  Even if a Christian reads it there remains a veil that only Christ can remove.

The reason is that the law veils the truth about righteousness.  The law sounds logical.  If I will do this, then God will do that.

If I will bring the whole tithe to church, then God will rebuke the devourer and pour out a blessing.  If I will walk in righteousness, then God will manifest His power in me.  This veils the truth that under the New Covenant this is not the case.  Paul goes on in more detail.

Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:15-16

EVEN TODAY!!!  It’s so clear.  Right now if I read the Old Testament, a veil covers my heart.  There’s a cure, however.  The word turns in this verse is actually a Greek word that means turn again.

What this says to us, is that when anyone reads the Old Covenant a veil blocks their view of New Covenant righteousness.  But when you turn again to Christ, the veil is cast off.  How can you turn again to Christ if you were never looking at Him in the first place?

Paul is warning us that as New Testament believers, we cannot read the Old Testament without constantly looking back to what Christ did on the cross.  He fulfilled it all.  Everything I need to walk righteously before God has been supplied to me by the Savior.

Question: Why do many believers still live as though they’re under the Old Covenant?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on December 27, 2013 in Legalism, Power of God

 

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Who’s Disciple are You?

23 Dec

Question MarkI’ve been talking about righteousness and the power of God.  In my last post I looked at a healing that took place on the Sabbath day.  The Pharisees were upset and began an investigation into the details of the miracle.

They interviewed the parents of the blind man who was healed to make sure that the person really was blind.  They confirmed that he was their son, and that he truly was born blind.

The Pharisees then question the former blind man again.  This time the man starts getting frustrated with them.  He asks them, “Do you want to become His disciples?  Is that why you’re asking so many questions?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple!  We are disciples of Moses!”
John 9:28

These Pharisees then proceeded to ridicule this man and to malign Jesus.  It’s amazing how emotional people get when you start messing with their traditions.  Their point was that it was better to be a disciple of Moses then to be a disciple of Jesus.

Eventually the man reached the end of his patience and he told the Pharisees exactly what he was thinking.  He showed a lot of insight in his remarks.

“Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
John 9:32-33

What a simple statement of this deep truth.  He made the point that he had heard of people who lost their sight and then regained it back again.  But a man who was born blind – his eyes have never worked – healing them was unheard of.

His statement raised a question that should resound through the ages.  Jesus and His disciples are healing the sick.  We see the power of God working through them.  If being a disciple of Moses is so great, then why aren’t you healing the sick?  If I were to judge by appearances I would say that the Pharisees are the ones needing to get closer to God.

This is where we find ourselves in the church today.  We’re powerless, yet complaining about and maligning those who do walk in a degree of the Spirit.  If they’re changing lives, seeing people healed and delivered from sin, then there are those who say that there must be something wrong.  They must be off base in their theology.  After all, my church isn’t that exciting.

What’s the truth of the matter?  God is a powerful God.  He desires to operate through His people.  He hates sickness, sin, and destructive habits that hold people in bondage.  It’s always His goal to set the captives free.  If these things are not happening in the church, then there’s something wrong on our end, not God’s.

Question: Why is it common for believers to speak against those who operate in the power of God?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2013 in Legalism, Power of God

 

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The Two Kinds of Righteousness

18 Dec

BeamIn my last post I started talking about the relationship between the power of God and righteousness.  There are so many believers bound in the notion that if we can just be righteous enough, we can walk in the power of the Spirit.

They spend their lives frustrated trying to live up to the righteous rules set out by their teachers.  Many give up on ever obtaining a walk in the power of the Spirit.  Little do they know that their quest is in vain.

And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
2 Corinthians 3:11

It’s the power of the law which, like batteries, eventually fades away.  Not so the power of the Spirit.  This verse literally says that it lasts, remains, stays perpetually.  What kind of power are you looking for?  A temporary boost that fades as your strength declines?  Or do you seek a power that comes from the Spirit of the living God?

The righteous life can only come from a walk of power.  Jesus not only walked in power, but also in the righteousness of the Father.  This means it’s possible for me as well.  I just need apply the truth of Scripture to my life.

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

Righteousness is not a function of my strength or my will power.  It comes from God through His Holy Spirit.  The key is that this truth is revealed in the Gospel – the Good News.  Truly, to many believers righteousness from God is Good News.

As I’ve said before, so many live their lives constantly failing to live up to the standards set by Christ in the Word.  The Good News is that you don’t have to.  But wait a minute!  Maybe you think I’m talking about the imparted righteousness that God gives to us when we’re saved.  I’m not.

The Bible teaches about two different kinds of righteousness under the New Covenant.  First, there’s imparted righteousness.  This is the righteousness that Christ places within you when you’re saved.

This means that when God the Father looks at you, He sees you in Christ.  This gives you access to God at all times so that your sin will not keep you from approaching the throne for forgiveness, praise, worship, or any other purpose.  We need this righteousness to establish a relationship with the Lord as we grow in our faith.

There is also another kind of righteousness that the New Testament talks about.  That’s the walk of righteousness.

This is the application of the righteousness of God to our daily lives.  This means that I live correctly before God.  This one is harder to see manifest in my life.  That’s especially true if I try to accomplish it in my own power, as so many Christians endeavor to do.

I believe that in the above verse, Paul is talking about the walk of righteousness.  It’s this righteousness from God that allows us to live righteously.  We can never hope to walk rightly before God in our own strength.  It’s going to require us to walk in the ability of the Lord in order to please Him.

Question: Why is it so tempting to please God in our own strength?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2013 in Legalism, Power of God

 

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Will Your Gift to God be Returned? #greatestgift

13 Dec

PresentThe Christmas season is in full swing!  The stores are full of shoppers.  The TV is all about buying presents for people.  With all the hype going on around us; do we really understand giving?

I’m talking about what we give to God.  No, I’m not going to ask for an offering.  I’m thinking about how willing we are to give.

There are some things that we’re more willing to give than others.  Many are willing to give some time to the Lord on Sundays as well as a couple of hours during the week.  There are a lot of believers who give ten percent of their income to the work of God.

Here’s the problem.  Am I giving what God is asking for?  If not, then all my works count for nothing.

Is it any different than our Christmas experience?  We all get presents that we don’t want.  Check out the exchange lines the day after Christmas and you’ll see exactly what I mean.  No one wants to give a gift that gets returned.

How much more important is it to you, that God doesn’t return your gift?  We need to know what He’s looking for in a gift.

Actually, we can get some insight from the enemy.  Satan made an interesting statement while he was accusing Job before God.

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life.”
Job 2:4

If anyone knows us well, it’s the devil.  After centuries of watching us, he came to this conclusion.

That’s how we know the value of the greatest gift God asks of us.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.  What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:25-26

Jesus taught the same thing.  A man will sell everything he has to save his life.  It’s the most precious possession we own.

That’s why it’s also the greatest gift we can give to God.  In reality, God doesn’t want your time or money if it’s just a replacement for you.  The Lord wants you.

This season, while we think about all the things we’re getting for others, don’t forget the highest name on the list.  Make it your first priority to give yourself fully to Christ.  Then, everything else will fall into place.

Question: How far are you willing to go for the Lord?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2013 in Encouragement, Worship

 

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Are You Living by the Word?

02 Dec

SpotlightWe understand the principle that the Word of God is like seed.  I want to discuss how this seed is received into our hearts.  If the Word is my life, then it’s important that I know how to handle it correctly.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4

It’s the Word that gives us life – the essence of life, the abundant life.  That’s what we desperately need as believers in this generation.

How do we receive this life?  To answer that we’ll go to the beginning of the Gospel of John.

In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
John 1:4

We see in this verse that life is only found in Christ, the Living Word.  Not only is He life, but this life is the light of men.  If we’re truly going to be the light of the world, then we need this life – the life that only comes from Christ.

If Christ is the life, then how is that life transferred to us?

I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.
John 6:47-48

This is vital to our understanding of how to receive life.  Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life.  That’s the theme of the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel.  The Lord sums it up in this way.

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.  The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
John 6:63

We’ve now come to the bottom line.  In order to walk in the abundant life we must live by every Word of God.  Christ is the Living Word – the personification of the Word of God.  His Word is Spirit and life.  It’s a life that can only be received by the spirit.  This is the foundation of understanding how the Word works in us.  Now we must apply it in our everyday situations.

Over the next few posts, I’ll talk about how the Word of God relates to us.  How I receive the Word is important because without it, I’m powerless.

Too many believers are trying to live for God without placing the Living Word at the center of their being.  This is a sure recipe for disaster.  We need the understanding of Scripture to bring us to the place where we operate out of an overflow of God’s Word.

Question: How important is the Living Word of God to you?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on December 2, 2013 in Word of God

 

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Where is Your Heart Pointing? #theanointing

22 Nov

Snow HeartIn my last post I used Christ as our example for preparing ourselves for the anointing.  I talked about being driven in the spirit.  How far are we willing to go to see God work through us?

…and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 3:22

Think about the Father’s testimony of the Son.  We’re all sons and daughters of God.  We’ve been adopted into His family.  Beyond that, we’re all loved.

I believe that the key term here is well pleased.  We have to come to this understanding.  We don’t just want God to be pleased, but well pleased.

Sometimes we learn more by negative examples.  Israel had a problem in this area.

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.  Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
1 Corinthians 10:5-6

They did not make it their goal to be pleasing to God.  If we’re going to go beyond their failure, then we must set our hearts on securing the anointing.  Whatever you set your heart on is what you are driven to do.

Have you set your heart on things?  Some people are driven to make money.  What’s the driving force of your life?  Some want position or fame.  Have you set your heart on power with God?

What you’ve set your heart upon determines what you’re driven to do.  Your heart is the driving force in your life.

Paul was driven.

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:26-27

Paul literally says that I will give my body a black eye, if I have to, in order to obtain the prize.  The prize is the anointing of power.

Peter understood the power of being driven.

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and forever!  Amen.
2 Peter 3:17-18

All around us are those who are driven for self.  It looks very tempting.  Their rewards are instantaneous.

The blessings of a heart after God are long-term.

Drive yourself to grow in grace.  Increase your knowledge of the Lord.  That’s the road to the anointing of power.  Drive yourself down that path.

Question: How do you seek to be well pleasing to God?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2013 in Anointing

 

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Are You Positioned for the Anointing? #anointing

20 Nov

OilWhen all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.  And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 3:21-22

In the past, I have posted about the anointing of God upon our lives.  We receive God’s anointing when we are chosen by God for a specific task.  We’re then anointed to complete it.

What we see from Scripture is that the Spirit follows the anointing.  At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in power.  That was His anointing for ministry.

At the same time there was a voice from heaven (The Father) confirming this calling.  My question is; how did He get to this point?  The answer will help me in my walk with God.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Luke 2:52

Wisdom is the application of what you’ve learned.  Stature speaks of physical growth.  The word favor is the grace of God.  These are very important points for us to learn.

Have you ever thought about it in these terms before?  Jesus had to grow in grace.  But the key word is grew.  That Greek word literally means to drive forward as if by beating.

Jesus was driven to grow in grace and wisdom.  Of course He did have an advantage over us.  He was perfect and He had a photographic memory.  The Lord only had to hear the Scripture once and He remembered it.

The key is that when He heard Scripture He was driven to enter into the grace of it.  This should be the same for us.

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
1 Timothy 4:14-15

Paul tells Timothy, a young pastor, to be diligent and give himself totally the callings that were placed upon his life.  Paul explains to Timothy the reason for this.  It literally says, so that your driving forward may be a light to all.

We must drive ourselves to secure the anointing.  To walk in our callings will take drive and determination.  It will not just happen by accident.  It’s a spiritual battle.  But, through the power of God, we will be victorious.

Question: What does it mean to drive yourself forward in grace?

© Nick Zaccardi 2013

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2013 in Anointing

 

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