I’ve been posting about the New Testament fast. There’s an event in Jesus’ ministry that sheds some light on it.
As Jesus was returning to the city form the mount of transfiguration, He was met by a crowd of people. While He was away, the disciples tried to cast a demon out of a young man, but were unable to. This is important, because they had been personally trained by the Lord and should have had an easy time with it.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Mark 9:21-24
Knowing the three parts of our being helps us to understand the man’s statement in Mark 9:21-24. He didn’t understand how he could both believe and not believe at the same time. It’s important for us to see that both faith and unbelief or “unfaith” can exist at the same time in the same person.
My spirit is always full of faith. My flesh is always full of doubt and unbelief. It was this realization that caused the man to cry out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” This is the key issue involved in our desire for the miraculous to be evident in our ministries.
Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Matthew 17:18-19
Everyone who wants a walk of excellence needs to know the answer to this. We all read the Word of God. We know that it’s God’s will to heal and deliver. Why is it so hard, sometimes, to see the manifestation of the Spirit of the Lord? Listen very intently to Jesus’ answer. It will help us to move up into the excellence of ministry that He has for us.
Obviously, the disciples didn’t ask in public in case the answer was in the form of a rebuke. They would rather take it in private. But their question was valid. Why couldn’t they do what Jesus did, even though they had the faith to try it?
They had been trained by Jesus Himself to go out two by two. They had prayed for the sick and saw them healed. They had rebuked demons and saw them bow to the Name of Jesus. Why, all of a sudden, did it seem to stop working?
We need to open our heart to what Jesus says. This could explain our lack of results. We have faith. We step out. But many times we experience nothing. Why?
In my next post we’ll see how the Lord answered this question.
Question: How has your flesh hindered your walk with the Lord?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: belief, Christ, faith, fasting, flesh, Jesus, Jesus' ministry, manifestation, New Testament fast, our problem, soul, spirit, spiritual fast, the flesh, transfiguration, unbelief
I’m taking a few posts to talk about fasting. I believe that fasting is one of the most neglected sources of spiritual power in the Christian walk.
In my last post I said that the New Testament fast is totally different than that of the old. I base this upon the words of Jesus Himself when He was questioned about fasting by the disciples of John the Baptist.
Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Matthew 9:14-15
When asked why He didn’t make His disciples fast, Jesus replied that they were not going to mourn while He was here with them. The Old Testament fast was a humbling process before God for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was the fulfillment of this. Humiliation for sin was finished – God’s provision had arrived.
The Lord then goes on to talk about the “new patch” and the “new wineskins” in the next verses (v16-17). Most Christians have no idea that Jesus was talking about fasting when He gave these illustrations.
It’s obvious to me that the Lord didn’t want the disciples to get confused. This would have happened if He made them fast according to Old Testament tradition, and then later on tried to teach them the New Covenant fast. He must have felt it was better to start them off correctly right from the beginning.
That’s also why I don’t spend a lot of time looking at the Old Testament fast. Under the law, fasting was a whole different thing than in the New Testament church. Unfortunately, many Christians have no idea what the fast is all about now. It’s my prayer that you will by the end of this series.
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:16-18
The first thing we see here is that Jesus said, “When you fast…” Preachers are always quick to point out to their people that Jesus said, “When you pray…” They explain that it means Jesus expects prayer to be a regular part of the Christian walk. They do the same thing with “When you give…” What happened to fasting?
It seems to me that the Lord wants fasting to be just as much a part of our lives. Many of us ignore it and think our walk with God will not suffer for it. Jesus assumed that fasting was to be a regular part of the Christian walk. I believe that most of us don’t understand it, and that’s why it is not practiced.
Question: How important is fasting in your walk with God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, Christian walk, disciples, fast, fasting, fasting changed, humble, humility, Jesus, mourn, New Covenant, New Testament, old covenant, Old Testament, spiritual, spiritual fasting, spiritual power, when you fast
I’ve been posting about how Christ will reveal Himself at His return. We’ve talked about Jesus’ teaching in Luke, chapter 17, on the days of Noah and Lot.
Remember that He already said in verse 24 that when He’s revealed on that day, every eye will see Him. It will not be a private return. He’s coming in all of His glory.
“On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.”
Luke 17:31-36
Many interpret this verse to mean that the one taken is taken into heaven and the one left is the one that’s going to be judged. How can this be? In both of His examples, the stories of Noah and Lot, the Lord clearly states that the unrighteous are taken in judgment and the righteous ones are left.
The disciples wanted Jesus to clarify what He was teaching them. They asked the obvious question: Where was it that they were taken to?
“Where, Lord?” they asked.
He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”
Luke 17:37
Jesus makes it clear that those taken are dead bodies. The Greek word for carcass is what the NIV translates as dead body. Also, the word Jesus used for vulture is a generic term that could be used for any carrion bird that feeds on dead bodies.
So in answer to the question “Where are they taken?” Jesus said, “Do you want to know where the carcasses are taken? Then look for the vultures.” Personally, I don’t want to be taken like that. I want to be one of the ones who are left.
What, then, have we learned in this portion of Scripture? First of all, I see a time of warning leading up to the time when Christ is revealed. We then come to a day – a literal, twenty-four hour day – during which He will reveal Himself.
Christ uses two examples, Noah and Lot, to explain His point. In both cases the day starts out with some saints. They are then somehow supernaturally protected during the events of that day. In Noah’s case he was put in the ark and in Lot’s case he was taken out of the city.
On the day that they were protected, salvation was then closed and judgment fell. After judgment had fallen, at the end of the day, the saints were left. That’s the way I read it and that’s the way I believe Christ meant it to be read.
Questions: Are you prepared for that day? How have you prepared?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, day of Christ, eagles, every eye will see him, glory, Jesus, judgment, Lot, Noah, rapture, return of Christ, righteous, second coming, taken, vultures
I’m posting about Christ’s teaching on the Last Days in Luke, chapter 17. After talking about the days of Noah, the Lord goes on to describe the days of Abraham’s nephew, Lot.
“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”
Luke 17:28-29
This event is recorded in Genesis 19. You can read through that chapter to get the whole story.
Two angels arrived in Sodom to visit Lot. Lot invited them into his home, knowing who they were.
When the men of the city heard that travelers were in Lot’s house, they demanded that Lot turn them over to the crowd. According to the Bible, they wanted to rape these angels. Lot then tried to reason with the men of the city but they wouldn’t listen.
You probably know what happens in the city of Sodom. The two guests, who happen to be angels, come to Lot’s defense. They bar the way into Lot’s house and bring blindness upon all the men of the city who are trying to get in.
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
Genesis 19:15-17
With the coming of the dawn – THE DAY – judgment came upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Once Lot and his family were out of sight of the city it was all over. The day that Lot left the city was the day that judgment fell. Now bear in mind that the inhabitants of those cities had some warning. Lot spent the whole day before trying to convince them.
The angels told Lot that if he had any loved ones in the city he should go and warn them. The Bible says that he went to his sons-in-law and they laughed at him. The city was warned. But because Lot wasn’t as in tune to the Lord as Noah, they didn’t have as much time to prepare. In both Noah’s day and in Lot’s the people ignored the warning.
Now I’ll ask the same questions I asked in my last post. When it was all said and done, who was left? According to Scripture it was Lot. Who was taken? Again, according to Scripture, it was the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Twice in the verses from Genesis 19:15-17 the angels said that the inhabitants would be “swept away.” That concept is very important.
We need to understand what will happen when Christ reveals Himself at His return. In my next post we’ll look at how Christ summarized His teaching on this future event.
Question: How does this knowledge affect how we live for Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: angels, Christ, days of Lot, fire, Jesus, judgment, left, rapture, return of Christ, second coming, Sodom, taken, the last days
I’ve been posting about how Jesus compared the last days to the days of Noah in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17. Noah obeyed God and built the ark to save his family. When the rain was about to fall, God told Noah and his family to enter the ark.
At that point, when all were safe inside, God shut the door. That was it, there was no turning back. No one could leave, and no one else could enter the ark of salvation. This is an important point in the principle Jesus is trying to get across to His disciples.
When all these things had taken place, the judgment of God fell upon that ancient world.
Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
Genesis 7:22-23
Now it’s important for me to ask you another question. According to the Scripture above, who was left? The answer is simple yet ignored. It clearly states that Noah and everybody in the ark were left. Who was wiped away from off the face of the earth? Every person and animal not in the ark.
It’s so clearly stated that you might ask why I’m emphasizing this issue. There’s a very important reason. Most of the people, who interpret this section of Scripture, rip it from its context, reverse it, and say that Noah was taken and the rest were left. We’re not going to do that today. I believe this verse as written and refuse to do any scriptural gymnastics to try and make it say something that it doesn’t. A parallel passage of Scripture is Matthew 24:39.
“…and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:39
Even in His comments concerning the flood Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it was the sinners that were taken and Noah who was left. This is a very important concept to grasp. It goes against most of the teaching in the church today. Yet it’s vital that we agree with what Christ says no matter what a man teaches.
Question: Does this challenge or confirm your beliefs about the second coming of the Lord? How?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, day of the Lord, Jesus, judgment, left, Noah and the day of the Lord, rapture, return of Christ, second coming, taken
In my last post I talked about a statement that Jesus made to the church. In it He warns us that the last days before His return would be similar to the days of Noah. What was that like? Things were going along business as usual.
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
Genesis 6:5
That sounds very familiar. God saw how great man’s wickedness had become. People’s thoughts would turn in the direction of evil all the time. Our society is like that today. The main concern of most people is, “How can I satisfy myself?” That’s fallen man’s cry from morning until night. Both Noah’s society and what we see happening around us today sound the same to me.
You know the rest of the story. God shows Noah His plan. Noah obeys and builds the ark for the saving of his family. But what does all that have to do with the return of Christ? Jesus is making a comparison here.
The world was filled with violence during the days of Noah. Our society is plagued with the same things as well. We see wickedness, evil thoughts, corruption, and violence all around us. If you live in the inner city, violence is a way of life. Unfortunately, it’s moving out more and more into the countryside, just like it was in the days of Noah. What is this leading to?
On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. They had with them every wild animal according to its kind…Then the Lord shut him in.
Genesis 7:13-16
Just like it was in THE DAYS of Noah, they were eating, drinking, and marrying right up until THE DAY Noah entered the ark. Scripture says “the very day” Noah entered the ark. At that point the flood came.
Did they have any warning that the flood was coming? They sure did! Noah had been warning them for about one hundred years. That’s how long it took him to build the ark.
What we need to understand is that when the door to the ark was finally shut it was too late. Here is a very important question. Who shut the door to the ark? Please pay careful attention to this fact. It was God who shut the door. Noah didn’t shut it, and he couldn’t open it.
Once that door was shut, no one could change their mind and get in. It was too late. I’m sure that when the rain started falling, there were people pounding on that door. But when God shuts the door, the time of repentance is over.
I believe that there will be a day when God will close the door to salvation. That’s why it’s imperative that we preach the Good News while God’s ark of salvation remains open.
Question: What are you doing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: business as usual, Christ, evil thoughts, fallen man, good news, good news of Jesus Christ, Jesus, Noah's ark, obedience, obey, repentance, return of Christ, salvation, second coming, the days of Noah, the last days, violence, wickedness
In my last post we saw Jesus answering the Pharisees’ question about the kingdom of God. When they leave, the Lord turns to His disciples and starts teaching them about the last days.
Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.”
Luke 17:22
Jesus begins to tell them what the Pharisees were really asking about. He told them that they would not see one of the days of the Son of Man. It turns out that there’s a special reason why He gave this teaching to His disciples. He needed to warn them that none of the disciples would be alive when Jesus Christ was to return.
“Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.”
Luke 17:23-24
The Lord knew that as soon as He died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, there were going to be people who claimed to be the Messiah. There would be those who proclaimed, “Jesus has returned, He’s back again”.
After all, even when Jesus was ministering, the people thought He was the return of Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. He knew that there would always be those who claimed to be a new incarnation of the Christ. In this teaching, the Lord wanted to nip that heresy in the bud.
He told His disciples clearly that if anybody said that the Lord had returned, they would automatically know it was a lie. They wouldn’t have to check it out. They wouldn’t have to verify it. He was saying, “Know for sure that I will not come back in your lifetime.”
This verse then was specifically for the disciples. As it turned out, they were very glad that the Lord gave them this wisdom. Following the ascension of Christ, there were plenty of false Messiahs that came along. The disciples were fortunate in knowing that they didn’t have to worry about whether they were the real thing or not.
Even Paul ran into this problem. He had to write to the Thessalonian church dealing with this issue. They were all upset because somebody told them Jesus had already returned and they had missed it. Paul had to tell them, “No, it hasn’t happened yet.” He didn’t have to go find out. He didn’t have to call up anybody or check it out. He knew with a certainty that Christ had not yet returned.
As a matter of fact, Jesus said, “When I come, it’s not going to be in secret. It will be like lightning flashing from one end of the heavens to the other. Everybody is going to see Me.”
I believe that we are the generation that will see His return.
Question: Are you ready and looking forward to the day Christ will appear?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, Christ return in our lifetime, days of the son of man, disciples, every eye will see him, Jesus, lightning, private return, return of Christ, second coming
There are some things about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that I think we’ve lost sight of. I want to take a few posts to take a detailed look at the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17. There are some very surprising things that Jesus said in that text. But first, He had to correct the Pharisees’ view of the kingdom.
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come visibly, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Luke 17:20-21
The Pharisees were always looking for an occasion to accuse Jesus. They wanted to find something against Him. So they came up with this question. When is the kingdom coming? They knew that the Messiah was supposed to establish the kingdom. So they decided to see how smart He was.
Please understand what these men were doing. They didn’t want to believe in Him. They weren’t looking for the arrival of the kingdom of God. They were just looking for a chance to test the Lord and to trick Him into saying something that would open Him up to some accusation.
How does Jesus respond to their question? In dealing with these men, He turns the tables on them and gives them an answer that refers to the spiritual kingdom instead of the physical. The Lord’s exhortation to them is that you will not find it by careful observation.
They first needed to understand what “kingdom” means. A kingdom can be any place. A king-dom is the domain, or place of dominion of a king. It’s any place or person over which the King has authority.
So, if the King of kings has authority in your heart, that’s where the kingdom of God is. Wherever the King has authority to rule is where the kingdom has been established. The kingdom of God could be among you or in you. It all depends upon whether or not you have received the King.
If you’re submitted to the King, you’re a part of the kingdom. If you’re not submitted to the King, then you are not in the kingdom and the kingdom is not in you. Instead, you will find that the kingdom of God is among you, just like in the parable of the weeds and the wheat (Matthew 13:36-43).
The wheat is a part of the kingdom, the weeds aren’t. Jesus was explaining the same concept to these Pharisees. He gives them the spiritual truth even though it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. They were asking Him for the physical manifestation of the kingdom.
The same applies to us today. Many believers want to receive the blessings of the kingdom without submitting to the King. We need to learn that you can’t have one without the other.
Question: What does it mean to be submitted to Christ as King?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: among you, arrival, Christ, domain, dominion, establish, God, in you, Jesus, king, King of Kings, kingdom, kingdom of God, Luke, Pharisees, second coming, submission, submit, understanding the kingdom of God
My last post talked about positioning yourself to flow in God’s power. It all comes down to the truth that agreement with Christ is the place of power. Do we always agree with Him? Or do we make excuses?
“You can’t know God’s will for certain.” “He may not want to heal.” After all it can’t be our fault. We feel there’s nothing wrong on our end so it must be God’s decision not to manifest His power.
In some cases we’re more like the Pharisees than we want to admit. Jesus explained their problem to them. I believe that it’s our problem as well. We need to hear the Lord, and meditate on His words.
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
John 5:39-40
Many believers spend a great deal of time pursuing the study of Scripture. There are radio and cable channels devoted to the study of the Word of God 24/7.
Just like Jesus said to the Pharisees, many of us think that by them we possess life and power. We believe that if we just know the Word enough, it will increase our faith to the point where nothing will be impossible for us.
The Scripture is given to testify about Christ. It was NOT given to grant us access to power or life. Jesus Christ is the grand focus of the Word. It’s IN HIM that we have power and life.
Our problem is that we refuse to go to Christ to have access to power and life. Jesus said, “I have come that you would have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Power rests solely in Christ. If we don’t abide in Christ, then we don’t have access to the power.
The very Scriptures that we recite, confess, and memorize are telling us who Christ is and what He’s done. This should cause us to run to Him. Instead, we embrace the Word and think that it will give us power. It’s so much easier to live for ourselves and quote promises, then to abide in Christ. That requires spiritual effort, and we like to look for the shortcuts.
This is the instant generation. We want everything now without any waiting. By constantly using our credit cards we will give away our future for a momentary pleasure. We have to have everything now.
Well, this is something that’s impossible to get instantly. It requires the work of an intimate relationship with God. Power flows from Christ to us if we’ll do what it takes to position ourselves to receive it. It’s time for the church to wake up and view relationship with Christ as the priority of the hour.
Question: Are you willing to wait in God’s presence rather than seek for instant success?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: abide, abide in Christ, Agreement, agreement with Christ, Christ, confess, confession, excuses, healing, in Christ, Jesus, life, manifestation, memorize, position, positioning, power, power is agreement with Christ, power of God, promises, recite, relationship, Scripture, study, testify, testify to Christ, word of God
I’ve been posting about how Christ walked and ministered in the power of God. It’s all about how He positioned Himself to receive it.
A good example of this is found in a parable that the Lord told to His disciples. We usually call it the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector. They were both in the temple praying next to each other. The Lord lets us in on what they were saying.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
Luke 18:11-12
We read this, but we don’t take it to heart. We know how it ends and who the Lord commends. But do we really listen to the prayer of the Pharisee. If we look closely at it, it sounds like a prayer that a modern Christian would offer up, filled with good confessions.
“I thank you that I’m the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath. I thank you that because I tithe you will rebuke the devourer and open the windows of heaven so that I cannot contain your blessing.”
His prayer was filled with good confessions and it was all true. He was different than the tax-collector. He did fast and tithe. The problem was that he had no power.
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Luke 18:13
Which prayer produced life changing power? Christ was clear about it.
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:14
It’s obvious, from the Lord’s perspective, that the person who dealt with relationship tapped into God’s power. The Pharisee was focused on self. The tax-collector was dealing with that which separated him from God.
Is the power of God about what I’ve done or what the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in and through me? When I go before God, my telling Him what I’ve done doesn’t impress Him. It will never move Him to work through me.
It’s only as I work on my relationship with Christ that I’ll see the changes necessary. If you want to flow in the power of God, then your relationship with Him is the positioning agent. It’s not about what you’ve done, but what He is able to do in you.
Questions: How well are you positioned for the move of the Holy Spirit? What do you need to do to make it better?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, good confessions, Jesus, life changing, ministry, Pharisee, position, positioned to receive spiritual power, power, power of God, power of the spirit, pray, prayer, praying, publican, receive, relationship, self, sinner, spiritual power, tax-collector
I’ve been posting about the New Testament fast. There’s an event in Jesus’ ministry that sheds some light on it.
The Spirit and the Word 