I’ve been posting about the obedience that springs from our faith. In my last post I talked about one of the attitudes of obedience to God. Today I want to talk about the second. We’re looking at what Hebrews, chapter 11, says about Abraham.
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Hebrews 11:9
The literal Greek of this text says that he lived permanently in tents. As an avid hiker and camper, I think that’s an interesting statement. In other words, he was living permanently in a temporary home.
But it wasn’t only Abraham. He was with others who were called as well.
The next attitude of obedience says that even though I’m trusting God to move me forward, I’m willing to stay here forever waiting for the Lord’s call. How could Abraham be so content to stay in his tents?
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:10
This is the secret to Abraham’s obedience. This verse literally says that he could obey because he accepted from the source, a city built by God.
This should be the same for us. We obey because we’ve accepted God’s destiny for our lives. We know who it is that promised.
I can only find the strength to obey God if I’ve accepted His destiny even if I don’t know all the details. That’s the tough part of this attitude. I have to accept His plan before I know where it will take me.
We walk by faith, not sight. Think about how incredible the place is that He is taking us to.
This city has foundations. We know from the Scripture that Christ is our foundation. We’ve started to build our little spiritual house. The thing is, God wants to take us to the city level. We have such a small vision some times.
This is a city whose architect and builder is God. Every time you obeyed a calling, God was building. Every pain and inconvenience – God was building.
But it gets even better than that. The word Builder in the above verse literally means public worker. The Lord does all the public works of the city.
Think about that for a minute. What if He did all the public works in your city? There would be gold streets, gem encrusted fire hydrants, and who knows what else.
Waiting on God’s destiny for your life is worth all the inconvenience of obedience.
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12
This is what the fight of faith is all about. It’s the fight to obey your calling. You must push through to wait upon God and listen for His voice calling you forward. It may seem hard to take in the short term. But in the end you’ll find that it was well worth the struggle.
Question: Why are we so reluctant to wait in the place of prayer to hear God’s voice?
©Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: attitude, destiny, faith, obedience, obedience to God, permanent, temporary
I’ve been posting about Abraham as our example of the obedience that’s born in our faith. It’s not always pleasant, but God has a great destination prepared for us.
I said in my last post that God usually calls us to leave something before calling us into a new and better place. Unfortunately, laying hold of that better place is based upon our obedience. That’s why Jesus made the following statement.
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:14
There are many who don’t want to go out in order to go into a new place. We are sometimes so satisfied with the good – we don’t want the excellent.
If we want the inheritance that God has destined us for on earth, then there are two attitudes we need to learn. These are the attitudes that energize our obedience to Christ. In today’s post, I want to talk about the first of these.
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Hebrews 11:9
The original Greek of this verse is very interesting. It says that by faith Abraham lived near the promised land as if it were another’s property. This is an important lesson to learn, especially those in leadership positions. We understand obedience from serving in another’s ministry.
At one point in my Christian walk I was under a great man of God named Pastor Anthony Spero. He’s the one who trained me in the ministry. There were things he asked me to do that I liked, and other things – not so much.
What I didn’t realize at that time, was that as I submitted under his ministry, God was doing a work in me. All that time I worked under him, not knowing that the place God was bringing me to was a pastorate of my own.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”
Luke 16:10-12
You can’t advance in the Kingdom of God without obedience. We get the idea that because this isn’t mine, who cares if I do a good job or not. This is especially true at work or church. I didn’t know it, but when I was putting out the trash as a teenager, God was preparing me to be a husband and father.
We need to pick up the attitude of Abraham. The ability to see my submission to authority as preparation for the authority God wants to entrust me with. My future advancement is based on my present obedience.
Question: What are the areas of obedience that God is currently using in your life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: advancement, attitude, faith, obedience, obedience to God, road to advancement, service, serving, submission, submit
In my last post I talked about the connection between faith and obedience. It’s one of the toughest choices we need to make as believers.
This goes beyond what we usually think about obedience.
Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
Romans 1:5
Contrary to popular belief, obedience is by faith, not fear. It’s easier to obey if I trust the one I’m submitted to. This is especially true in my relationship with God.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.
1 Peter 1:14-15
According to Peter, this obedience comes as a result of calling. If that’s the case, then we need to look at the calling of God. Let’s review the verse we first read in my last post.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8
It all starts by being called to go out of where we’re currently living. Then we’re called to move into a place that God expects us to inherit. The callings to go out and to move in are the two sides of God’s work in our lives. Both require our obedience.
It’s as if God is saying to us, “Let’s get you to the inheritance.” We then have to trust God enough to want the destiny that He’s prepared for us.
Bible talks a lot about obedience. Children and parents, employees and bosses, governments, church leaders, etc. This is how God gets you to the place He sees for you.
However, the biggest problem with God’s way of calling is that Abraham did not know where he was going. The verse literally says that he did not stand upon where he was going to.
Jesus understood this in His time on earth.
Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered
Hebrews 5:8
This verse is talking about Christ but it’s the same for us. The word suffer is talking about a feeling. The truth is that we only learn obedience by what we feel. Unfortunately, it’s usually a painful experience.
If I’m hungry and someone says, “Come to dinner,” that’s not obedience for me to come and eat. Obedience is when I’m watching TV and my parents tell me to put out the trash.
We need to understand that obedience is a learning process. It teaches me that to enjoy the best life, will require some discomfort now, for a greater return later. The inheritance is the fun part. It’s the calling that’s usually inconvenient.
Question: How does faith help us to obey God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: calling, calling of God, choices, destiny, discomfort, faith, inconvenience, obedience, obey, obeying God, suffering, trust
Sometimes we may get the idea that faith is just a matter of getting our thoughts right.
“As long as I trust God on the inside, everything will be okay.”
That’s a good place to start, but will it be enough to carry you through to your destiny? Actually faith is more than just the internal. It’s a continual process of revelation and response. We can learn a lot from Abraham’s example.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8
This verse tells us how Abraham applied the principles of faith to his life. If we boil down all the extra words, we’re told that by faith Abraham obeyed. He heard the Word that God spoke to him and chose to obey it by faith.
Up to this point in our Christian walk no obedience necessary. If you never hear from the Holy Spirit, then you’re not responsible to respond. Of course, neither do you see any miracles that come with your obedience.
It’s at this level that we start to mature in Christ. We want to do more than just fill a pew. We’ve accepted Christ as our Savior. Now we want to experience growth.
It’s unfortunate that so many believers want to stay at the infant stage of their spiritual life. They come out on Sunday morning, read the Bible, sing, clap, and pray. They continue to drink in, yet they feel no need for obedience.
To understand this, we need to know what it is that we’re to obey. The above verse makes it clear. We are to obey God’s calling. This is the normal process of growth in the life of a believer.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2
This is probably one of the clearest Scriptures on growth in the Bible. We’re told to offer ourselves to the Lord on His altar. Then comes the renewing of our mind. Finally, I can approve (obey) God’s will.
Sometimes our problem is that we put the cart before the horse. We want to know what God’s will for our life is before we decide to obey Him. That’s not faith. I need to trust Him with my life first, then He’ll make his will know to me.
That’s why I need to know Him. It’s hard to trust someone, if you don’t really know them.
In my next post, I’ll explain why this call to trust God in obedience is one of the hardest things we’re asked to do.
Question: Why does it seem so hard to obey God’s calling?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: Christian growth, faith, faith obedience connection, God's calling, God's will, growth, Holy Spirit, maturity, obedience, obey, obeying God, word of God
I’m posting about being the “John the Baptist Generation”. I believe we are the last generation before the return of Christ and we need to live it out.
In my last post I said that we need to be hearing a Word from God. This is essential for the end-time church.
But the key is that John didn’t just hear a Word. He walked in it. Our generation must walk out what we hear in God’s presence. Hearing from God is only half of the equation.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
James 1:21
This is talking about the engrafted word of God. It’s not just reading the Bible or hearing a sermon, even thought it might start there. It’s when you know God has spoken to you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
James 1:22-24
We’re told not to simply hear a word from God. We’re good at saying that God spoke to us.
“I know what I need to do.”
The problem is that years later there’s no change. God is looking for an obedient people. He wants someone who’ll not only speak for Him, but live for Him.
Sometimes I think that’s why we don’t listen – we don’t want to do what God might tell us.
I’ve been feeling more spiritual pressure on me lately to hear and obey the voice of God. When I look at John’s life I see the insight I need to do what’s required of me.
John was born at that time for a purpose. He could have said, “It’s not fair. Why can everyone else do what they want?” But by his obedience, he changed the course of history.
History Makers don’t get to just “do what they want.” That’s our calling because of the generation we were born into. Like it or not we were placed here to be a part of the greatest move of God the world has ever seen.
Instead of running from it, or hiding in the distractions of the world, we should embrace it. It’s time for the people of God to let the Word shine through us. I believe this will initiate the great end-time harvest of souls into the kingdom of God.
Question: What do you see as the greatest hindrance of us fulfilling this end-time call?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ's return, end time, engrafted, God's presence, hearing, history maker, Jesus, John the Baptist, John the Baptist generation, last days, living for Christ, obedience, purpose, return of Christ, second coming, spiritual pressure, walking in the word, word of God
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
If you’re like me, then you can see by world events that the return of Christ is quickly approaching. What does it take to be ready for that great day? Some believers give the impression that it’s enough to simply sit back and wait for His coming. It’s important to know what Jesus said about it.
At one point in His ministry, Jesus was invited to a Pharisee’s house for dinner. He gave many important teachings there. But for the purposes of this post I will only look at one of them.
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Luke 14:12-14
Sometime during this get together, the Lord turned to the Pharisee and talked about his motivation for throwing a party. A party might be given to impress people and increase your standing in the community so that you’ll be invited to bigger and better parties later on.
According to Christ, if that’s your motivation, then you’ll have no future reward. Jesus advises us to lay up treasure in Heaven. We do so by showing kindness and inviting those who cannot repay us.
Jesus makes it clear that at the resurrection of the righteous there’s going to be rewards. He’s just as clear that our rewards will be based upon our obedience.
Knowing this, we should be constantly aware of our calling. Our desire should be to please the King and to be found faithful at His return. Who are you trying to please? Are you trying to impress the world with your greatness? It’s time for us to wake up and become “God pleasers” instead of “man pleasers.” This is how we prepare for the Lord’s return.
Being prepared doesn’t mean sitting around watching the sky and waiting. It’s all about doing the Master’s business. Is God’s call on our lives important enough for us to seek it out? Once we do, are we faithful enough to complete our assignment? These are the kinds of questions we must ask if we’re to be truly ready for the Lord’s return.
Be prepared. Be faithful. Be found working at your assignment when the Master arrives. You’ll never regret it.
Question: How prepared for the Lord’s return is the church in general right now?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, faithful, faithfulness, future reward, get ready, God-pleaser, Jesus, man pleaser, motivation, obedience, ready, ready for the Lor'd return, return of Christ, return of the Lord, second coming, treasure in Heaven, world events
This is the final post about how Abraham positioned himself to receive God’s supernatural provision. At this point we find him with the knife raised, about to sacrifice his only son.
But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Genesis 22:11-12
Abraham was able to come through this time of testing victoriously. But there was something that always puzzled me. God said, “Now I know that you fear God.” I thought God knew everything, so why would He say that?
The Hebrew word for know is Yada, which means to know by seeing. What God said was that now Abraham’s faith could be seen. His fear of God was now obvious to everyone.
That’s the reason for trials and testing. We may have faith quietly tucked away in our hearts. Without works, it’s not yet a living faith. It must be proved genuine.
It’s the trying of our faith that causes it to be seen by those around us. That’s why Scripture tells us over and over again that without trials we’ll never become mature in Christ.
It was when his faith was tested, and proved genuine, that Abraham’s eyes were opened to the provision of God that was before him.
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. [Jehovah Jireh] And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:13-14
Jehovah Jireh – the God Who provides. There are many who think this name is a promise of unbridled wealth. They think that it’s all about their physical comfort. What they fail to see is that Jehovah Jireh is a place of supernatural provision in Christ.
As I said in the first post of this series, it’s a spiritual mountain that must be climbed. To get to that place in God, it will require the same thing from us that it did of Abraham.
It will take a life of immediate obedience to God, perseverance, speaking our faith, and a decision to give up everything for the cause of Christ. That’s the real mountain that Abraham had to climb. The physical mountain was easy in comparison.
As with all things in Christ, God has already provided everything we need for life and godliness. The problem is that we need to position ourselves to receive the provision of God.
That’s the point. Why do we want God’s blessing? To accomplish His will or ours?
If you want Christ to be exalted in you, then you’re in a position to receive.
I ask everyone who reads this post to pray and believe God for those who respond to the following question…
Question: What is God calling you to do that you need His supernatural provision for?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, Christ, decision, faith, faith that can be seen, fear God, genuine, God who provides, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus, living faith, mountain, obedience, perseverance, position, position ourselves, provision of God, receive from God, speaking, supernatural, testing, trials, trying of our faith, victorious, victory
In my last post I started a series about God as our Provider – Jehovah Jireh. I’m using Abraham’s experience on the mountain of sacrifice as our example.
Before Abraham ever called God by this name, the Lord asked him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. It was Abraham’s response that floored me.
Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Genesis 22:3
I don’t know what time of day God spoke to Abraham about taking his son to the mountain of sacrifice. But what strikes me the hardest is the fact that immediately – early in the morning – the next day, he was ready to travel.
If I were asked to give up a child, I could find so many excuses to put it off. I would want to spend some time with him. Maybe even throw him a going away party so his friends could say goodbye. I might spend nights in prayer so that I could get a “confirmation” that God really said what He said.
I remember when my middle daughter, Sarah, went away to a ministry internship in Texas. Even knowing that I would see her again from time to time it was hard to let her go. I can’t even imagine what Abraham was going through internally. I don’t know that I could have gone through with it.
Unlike me, Abraham did just what God had asked him to do. Not only did He respond positively, but he did it immediately when he was asked to do it. This is the secret to persevering under testing. We must be quick to obey God.
I have talked to so many people who have told me things like, “I know God wants me to do this, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Too often the things that God asks of us get put on the back burner. We are waiting until our goals are finished.
So often we like to put the teachings of Scripture into little bubbles. When we talk about God’s provision, we only want hear about how to tap into God’s supply.
Obedience is in a different bubble. That’s one we don’t want to hear about very often. In the life of Abraham we learn that everything is interconnected. How well I tap into God’s supply is dependent upon my level of obedience.
Don’t fall into the “bubble” trap. Review your life. Is there something you’re neglecting that you know is God’s plan for you. Repent of your inaction. Spend time with Him and commit yourself to His desire for you.
This could very well release a blessing that has been stalled out for a while.
Question: Is there something God wants you to do that you’ve been slow to obey?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, back burner, God, God our Provider, God's provision, God's supply, immediate, immediate obedience, Isaac, Jehovah Jireh, link between obedience and provision, mountain of sacrifice, obedience, obey quickly, provider, provision
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how the Bible describes our excellent God. It’s one thing to acknowledge that a perfect, holy, and Most High God is excellent. It’s quite another to see that we’re called to that same level of excellence.
Again, let me remind you that it’s not what we do, but whom we have become that makes us excellent. A ministry is not excellent because of its money, technology, modern equipment, large size, big building, or anything else that we may possess. It’s only when we compare what we’re doing to the normal, the average, or the expected that excellence can be seen.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2
The very act of finding and entering your calling is being set apart – you are being divinely moved from a large group to a smaller group. This, by definition, is the more excellent group.
It is a group of those who have been called, prepared, chosen, and accepted for a divinely appointed task. Don’t ever think you’re just like everybody else; you’re not.
There are levels to our callings based upon our obedience and excellence. The more we manifest excellence in our walk and ministry, the further from the pack we move. Make no mistake about it; the Lord is very clear in His call to us – we are to leave the normal behind.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
This seems like an almost impossible task. Are we really to be as perfect as God? Actually, the word perfect in this verse means fully mature. God wants us to grow up and act as mature believers. The life of maturity in Christ is the life of excellence to which we are called.
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:15-16
It is clear from the above verses that God is calling us to live a life worthy of His excellent name. Please don’t get confused by what I’m saying. I’m not talking about your salvation. It’s not by works that we’re saved, but through the grace of God.
What I am speaking about, however, is the fact that once we’re saved, there is an expectation of change (for the better) in our lives. God is looking for His children to grow and mature into a people who accurately portray His kingdom and His desires.
For Christians, the walk of maturity is the walk of excellence.
Question: In what areas have you seen yourself mature since you’ve come to Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: above, average, called, called to a life of excellence, calling, chosen, excellence, expected, God, grow up, holy, Holy Spirit, mature believers, mediocre, normal, obedience, perfect, prepared, set apart, worthy
I’ve been posting about the obedience that springs from our faith. In my last post I talked about one of the attitudes of obedience to God. Today I want to talk about the second. We’re looking at what Hebrews, chapter 11, says about Abraham.
The Spirit and the Word 