Throughout His ministry, Jesus gave many parables concerning the end-times. One of the most well know is of the ten virgins. I want to take a few posts to talk about this parable.
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.”
Matthew 25:1-2
Not only is this parable well know, it’s probably the most misunderstood. Please read these posts with an open mind and a desire to hear the truth of God’s Word. Don’t miss the important point that the Lord is trying to make.
Notice that in verse 1 the Lord says at that time. This parable is about the church that’s alive in the last days.
You may also notice that He says the Kingdom of Heaven, the church, will be like ten virgins. This is an important point. All ten of these young ladies start out in the kingdom of God. They’re all saved and waiting for the bridegroom at the start of this parable.
All ten of these women are virgins at the start of this story. As a matter of fact, all ten of them are looking for the bridegroom. All ten virgins are ready and waiting. Please don’t get the idea, as some foolishly do, that only five were expecting the return of the Master.
The only issue in the parable that separates these virgins into two groups is their wisdom. In the original Greek it reads, “Five of them were morons and five were wise.” Don’t get mad at me, that’s the word Jesus used!
But the truth is that five of them guided their actions by wisdom and the other five didn’t think ahead. The real question is, which group are you in? As we continue through this parable, I hope it will become clear. For now, we need to see what constitutes wisdom and what causes Jesus to call others foolish.
“The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”
Matthew 25:3-5
What’s the difference in their actions? The foolish ones have their lamps with a little oil in them. The wise ones also have lamps with oil in them, but they did something further. The virgins who were noted as being wise brought extra oil in jars along with their lamps.
It should be clear to us at this point that the extra jars of oil are the key to being wise in the last days. If I can understand the significance of the oil, then I can see what differentiates the wise and the foolish Christians in the last days.
There are, therefore, three elements that we need to understand in this parable. If we can grasp the significance of the light, the lamps, and the oil, we’ll have a handle on what the Lord’s trying to tell us in this teaching. Understanding these three elements is what this series of posts is about.
Question: What do you think the difference is between wise and foolish believers of our generation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: Christ, church, foolish, Jesus, last days, last generation, last generation living, parable, return of Christ, second coming, ten virgins, wise
Have you ever felt like God was mad at you? Maybe you’ve been keeping away from the Lord or His people because you’re ashamed of something you’ve done. That’s not the way to go.
There’s a parable Jesus told about a son who, because of his choices, distanced himself from his father. When he hit rock bottom, he decided it was better to go home, no matter what the consequences were.
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20
Most people agree that Jesus was telling this parable about His Heavenly Father. The young man in question who took an early inheritance and blew it all on wild living. He ended up in poverty, and became a servant who was feeding hogs.
Finally he came to his senses and thought about what life was like in his father’s house. Even the servants were eating better than he was at that moment.
The young man decided to humble himself and return home. He had spent his inheritance and was now willing to simply be a one of his father’s hired servants.
He then made the long journey home. What would he find there? What would be the response of the father he had so humiliated by his leaving?
How would we write the story? A father standing, arms folded, with a stern “I told you so” written across his face. Would he listen in silence to the young man’s plea, only to say, “We’ll see how you act over the next few months.” Maybe there would be outright rejection.
We always seem to project these natural, human, responses onto our loving Father God. I’m so glad that He doesn’t treat us the way we treat each other. I’m even more thankful that He doesn’t treat me the way I deserve to be treated.
Because of the work Christ has done, all I need to do is start heading in His direction. It’s at that point the He runs to be with me. There’s no condemnation, no probation, and no judging. He only brings acceptance and forgiveness with Him.
Maybe you’ve done some things that you think are hard to forgive. Maybe you’ve been a long time away from God. It doesn’t matter. Return to the Lord and He’ll run to you. You can be restored in an instant because of the love of the Father.
Trust Him. He’s the God who runs.
Question: How have you experienced the love and acceptance of God the Father?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: acceptance, angry, angry God, ashamed, Christ, father God, forgiveness, God, God runs, Jesus, mad, parable, restoration
In my last post I talked about the Word of God as bread. I want to continue that discussion by looking at a parable that few ever teach about. We need to see how the bread of the Word applies to our daily lives.
Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”
Luke 11:5-8
This parable brings to light an incredible truth. Listen carefully to what the man is asking for. He’s seeking bread. But the important fact is the reason he wants it.
Is he hungry? Does he have no money to buy bread? Absolutely not! These are not the reason he needs bread so desperately.
According to the man, a friend of his was on a journey and has come near to him. He opened his home to the friend but has no bread to place before the friend.
According to Scripture, every human is on a journey. We are all traveling from total spiritual darkness to maturity in Christ. We are all at different places along this path.
What this man was saying is, “My friend’s path brought him into my sphere of influence. I need to help him become what God wants him to be.”
The man was not seeking the bread of the Word for himself. He was seeking a Word that would meet the need of someone else. This is something the church needs to hear. It seems that much of the time we are self-absorbed.
We are always seeking things for ourselves. We seem to think it’s all about my healing, my prosperity, and my blessing. We need to follow the example of Christ. Most of what He sought the Father for was bread that He could give to others.
Notice the humility. My friend has come to me and I have nothing of my own that could meet his need. This is an admittance of our total dependency on God.
I’m trusting God to meet someone else’s need. But I want Him to send the supply through me. This requires us to admit our inability apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
When you spend time in the presence of the Lord, remember to think of others. Listen for a Word that could be a help to them as well as yourself.
Question: How have you helped others along their road to maturity in Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: bread of life, daily life, don't be selfish with the bread of life, God's word, others, parable, self-absorbed, supply, word of God
Over the past few posts we’ve looked at the parable of the seed planted in different soils. The message Christ was focusing on should be clear. In order to prepare my heart for a great harvest, I must come to the realization that the Word of God must be the single crop in my heart.
This is what Scripture means by being single-hearted. When you have a single crop of the Word planted in your life, you’ve set yourself up for a plentiful harvest.
We have a spiritual epidemic across our nation. There’s an abundance of the Word of God, with very little fruit being produced. It’s time to weed out these distractions from the good, rich soil of our hearts. What we need is the mindset of a farmer when it comes to the Word of God.
“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Matthew 13:23
It’s clear from this verse that in order to see the harvest, I must understand the Word – see that it applies to my life. I have to go beyond the person who lives too close to the road.
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
Luke 8:15
This literally says that I must hold it down fast; keep it secure in my heart. It has to take root deeply in my life. I must go beyond those who have rocky soil.
Mark’s Gospel adds that we have to accept the Word. (Mark 4:20) This means to associate with, delight in. If you delight in a crop, you’re going to keep it free of weeds. You don’t want anything choking it out.
The bottom line is that you must persevere. In actuality it’s never easy to keep a farm or a garden. It always requires tending.
I must come to the point where I acknowledge that the Word of God is everything to me. It’s the same principle as in the physical world.
In the past I’ve had a garden. The fresh tomatoes, peppers, and squash were a welcome sight throughout the summer and fall. I could proudly say, “This eggplant came from my garden.” Here’s the difference – I wasn’t a farmer. I enjoyed the fresh vegetables grown in my garden, but I didn’t need them to survive.
A true farmer, on the other hand, lives by what he grows. His livelihood is tied to the crops that he produces. His new car is a result of the crops he harvested. The renovations to his home are a result of the harvest. Everything he has is tied up in his ability to produce a bountiful crop.
We must pick up this same mindset in regards to the Word of God. We live by the Word. Everything we need for life and godliness is all tied up in the Word. How I relate to the Word determines my destiny.
Hopefully, you can see by Christ’s teaching that it’s not just a matter of getting the seed into the ground. You can be planting huge amounts of seed and never see a single piece of fruit if you’re not following the basic principles of spiritual farming.
It’s all about getting the right seed into the right ground, then persevering to make sure that the seed can grow and produce fruit unhindered.
Question: How do you cultivate a “farmer’s mindset”?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: abundance, abundant harvest, Christ, delight, destiny, farmer, fruit, fruit of the Spirit, harvest, Jesus, parable, perseverance, persevere, plant, plant the word, seed, single hearted, take root, the abundant life, weeds, word of God, word planted
I’m posting about the different kinds of soil that Jesus said was contained in our hearts. Today’s is about someone with very good soil. It produced bountifully. The problem was that it wasn’t producing fruit.
Instead, it raised a great crop of thorns and thistles. Then the few good plants that sprung up were choked out before they produced anything.
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Mark 4:18-19
These believers get further along than the other groups. They believe the Word and actually let it take root in their lives. Their problem is that they let other things grow right along next to it.
The first plant Jesus mentions is the distractions of this age, in the original Greek. What a description of the modern Christian – DISTRACTED! It’s not that we’ve turned our backs on God. On the contrary, we want God’s best – His Word and His grace. The trouble is that we want the world’s best right along with it. We’re getting distracted by the things of the world.
Right along with that is the delusion of wealth. When we think of wealth, it tricks us into believing that it can supply all of our needs. The truth is that wealth can only obtain material possessions.
Wealth can never satisfy the longing of our souls. If it could, you would never hear of a wealthy person committing suicide. The thing we need to put into perspective is that only the things that come from the Word of God are truly able to fulfill our lives.
The third plant that grows next to the Word is simply desires. What the verse implies is that this is a desire for the things that were given up in order to follow after God. When we start looking back at these things with longing in our hearts, it’s a sure road to failure.
Please understand that it’s not doing the former things that causes the trouble, it’s the desire to do it.
The biggest thing that the Christians of this generation need to realize is that you can’t have it all, no matter what any televangelist will tell you. You can’t have the power of God manifest in you, as well as everything your flesh desires.
It’s a well-known principle of farming. When weeds and valuable crops are allowed to grow in the same space, it’s the weeds that will win out every time.
We’re so quick to blame God.
“Oh God, I planted the Word. Why is there no harvest? Why have you failed me?”
I’m here to inform you, it wasn’t God who failed. Everything grew as God ordained it to. It was the weeds in your life that choked out the Word before it was able to produce fruit in you. That’s why there was no harvest.
Question: How are you keeping your heart free from weeds?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: are you distracted, Christ, delusion, desires, distracted, distractions, flesh, good soil, harvest, heart, Jesus, parable, power of God, thistles, thorns, unfruitful, wealth, weeds, word of God
I’m posting about the different “heart soils” in Luke 8. Today I’ll deal with the rocky soil. This is about rocks with only a thin layer of dirt to cover them. The seed germinates and springs up quickly. But just as quick, the sun comes out, scorches the plant, and it withers and dies.
Jesus explained the spiritual application this way.
“Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”
Luke 8:13
This verse literally says is that these people receive the Word in the middle of joy. It sounds like camp meeting to me. There’s excitement in the air. The whole atmosphere of the meeting is charged with a heavenly joy. It’s easy to believe in a place like that.
We’re not talking about people who don’t believe what they hear. They believe it’s for them. The problem is that what has sprung up so quickly, also withers just as quick. What is it that withers?
For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:24-25
What withers is the glory of man. This type of person hears the Word and believes that it’s “all about me.” That’s why there’s all the joy and excitement. They think that the Word is for my blessing, health, and prosperity. Forget about what God’s ultimate purpose is. It’s me that’s important.
The Lord says that in this rocky heart there is some faith exhibited for a while, but it doesn’t last long. Eventually trials and testings will come. When this happens, Jesus literally says that they will become offended. Why does Christ use this word?
When I go through a time of testing, I realize that it’s not all about me. I get offended that I’m not the center of all the attention. I don’t want the spotlight on Christ and what He’s trying to accomplish in me. I want the priority to be my comfort and happiness. The result is that I get offended and walk away from the Lord and His plan for my life.
If I want my heart prepared for an abundant harvest, I must assume that the Word of God spotlights Jesus Christ. I must desire to know His heart. There are many who read the Bible and pursue God only for what they can get from Him. The big question on their minds is, “What’s in it for me?”
Instead, we should be focusing on God’s eternal purpose – to draw all humanity into His kingdom. The blessings of God are great, but they’re not an end in and of themselves.
God has promised us prosperity, but it’s to finance the spread of the Gospel. God has promised us health and healing, but it’s so that we can minister the Good News of His love to the best of our ability.
All the promises of God should be viewed through the filter of God’s will and plans. That’s what’s missing in the shallow faith of rocky soil. We need to keep our hearts clear of the rocks of self-centeredness.
Question: How is God working through you to bring about His purpose?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: abundant harvest, blessing, blessing of God, Christ, faith, glory of man, God's purpose, health, Jesus, joy, no root, offended, offense, parable, prosperity, rocky heart, setting yourself up for offense, soils, trials testing, trust
This will be my last post in my series about the Last Day’s weeding that the Lord will perform in His Kingdom. Jesus went on to underscore this message by telling another parable.
“Once again the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into a lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:47-50
The Lord tells us that the kingdom is like a net let down into a lake. This net has been dredging the lake for 2000 years now. It has caught a variety of fish. Some of the fish are good and some are bad.
There are people who claim to be Christians yet know nothing of the Biblical means of salvation. They’re relying on their own good works or their church membership instead of the blood of the crucified, buried, and risen Lord.
There are many that have heard and rejected the Good News because they like their own version better. They say things like, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe in something.” The church universal is full of good fish and bad fish.
So what’s new about that? It’s been like this for hundreds of years. It will not go on like this forever. God is starting a separation process.
When the net is full, or literally, complete and finished, something new is going to happen. Angels are going to be dispatched to separate out of the kingdom of God those who really don’t want to be there on God’s terms. The word separate means to set off by a boundary.
In the last days God is going to perform a supernatural work that makes a clear distinction between His people and the world. Right now the church and the world look very much alike. Divorce, abuse, crime, and substance abuse levels are almost equal.
The end of the age is the time set by the Lord to cleanse His Temple. He’s going to show that there’s a difference between His kingdom and the world. It will soon become impossible to straddle the fence.
If you’re wise, you’ll make your decision now to serve Christ wholeheartedly. Don’t wait until the weeding forces you to make up your mind. Don’t miss out on a single thing that the Lord has planned for you.
We live in exciting times. If you go all out for the Lord, then I can promise you that you’ll be a part of the greatest adventure the world has ever known.
Question: How different should we be from the world?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: angels, Biblical salvation, Christ, cleansing the temple, devotion, distinction, end of the age, Jesus, kingdom of God, parable, separating fish, separation, separation process, serving Christ, straddle the fence, the last days, the world, wholeheartedly, works
I have been posting about Jesus’ parable found in Matthew 13:24-41. Did you know that very soon a weeding is going to take place in the body of Christ? Actually, I believe that it may already have begun.
In the parable, Jesus said that there were going to be elements of the enemy’s kingdom mixed in with His sons and daughters. In the parable the angels inquire, “Sir, didn’t You sow good seed into Your field? Where did all these evil ones come from?”
Jesus explains that it was the work of the Devil.
The angels then ask Him, “Do you want us to go pull them up?”
“No”, He answers, “because while you’re pulling up the evil ones you may root up, hurt, or destroy My sons and daughters. Let both groups grow together until the end of the age. At that time I’ll tell the angels, first collect the sons of the evil one, tie them up and burn them. Then, gather My people and bring them into My dwelling place.”
Here you can see that Christ is not so much concerned with the weeds that are way out on the fringes. It’s the weeds that are mixed up with His kingdom that He wants to do something about. As we approach the end of the age, there’s going to be a time when God starts weeding.
I’ve seen some things happen in my lifetime that were unheard of in the past. Ministries that we thought were incredible seem to have gotten plucked up because there were some things that were wrong going on below the surface. God is exposing sin and saying, “I want that out of My kingdom.”
I believe that as we get closer to the end of the age, we’re going to see more and more of God’s weeding going on. That’s what Jesus wanted to communicate to His disciples. Don’t expect to have a kingdom that’s perfect right from the start.
Instead, He warned them that on earth there was going to be people with impure motives in His kingdom. There are going to be people among us that are not really living for Christ. They may claim to be Christians, but they’re poisonous. In my last post I talked about the specifics of that poison.
As we approach the end of the age, we’re going to see a new move of the Spirit of God as He weeds His kingdom. I believe that very soon, a separation is going to take place. Just as Jesus said, the Son of Man is going to send out His angels to expose, uproot, and remove those things that are not a part of His plan for the church. We, as believers, must be prepared for this to occur by realizing that the hand of God is in it.
Question: Do you see this weeding process as already starting?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: angels, body of Christ, Christ, end of the age, enemy's kingdom, expose, exposing sin, impure motives, Jesus, kingdom of God, move of the Spirit, parable, remove, sin, the last days, uproot, weed, weeding, weeding the kingdom
In my last post I started talking about a parable found in Matthew 13:24-41. I believe it’s talking about the times we live in right now.
In it, Jesus explains that through the centuries, the kingdom of God and the world will mature alongside of one another until the end approaches. Then, as we get close to the return of the Lord, a weeding will take place. What is the nature of these weeds? That’s what I want to talk about in today’s post.
According to the parable, both kingdoms begin to sprout. You could also say they begin coming into fruition. The church is starting to become what God wants it to become. The closer we get to the ministry of Christ, the closer we are to harvest time.
The parable also tells us that the weeds are the enemy’s kingdom sown right alongside of us. The word Jesus uses for weed is a plant called darnel. It’s a special plant that looks exactly like wheat.
The downside of having it in your field is the fact that it contains a deadly poison. Not only that, but if it’s planted next to wheat you can’t tell them apart. As a matter of fact, everything about them looks the same until the harvest. At harvest time wheat starts turning that beautiful, golden color. Darnel, however, turns black.
If you were to eat darnel, it would cause sleep, convulsions, nausea, and even death. It’s a poison. It’s not good for human consumption.
So what Jesus is saying is that there’s going to be a battle going on until the end of the age. This is because two different families are going to be on the earth at the same time with two vastly different agendas. There will be two groups of people that are becoming two different kingdoms. One of those kingdoms is poison and one is life giving.
“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.”
Matthew 13:41
First, He says that the angels will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin or literally, causes offense and stumbling. Wow! That’s probably half the battle right there. If we can get rid of the things that cause stumbling and that cause offense, living for Christ would get a whole lot easier.
The second type of weed mentioned by the Lord is all who do evil. Literally it says all without law. He is speaking here of those who are not submitted to Christ – they are without law. These people don’t care what the Lord wants them to do – they have their own agenda. Too many people in this generation are “serving” God on their own terms. That is unacceptable to Him.
If you find yourself in one of these two categories, take the time right now to repent and become a life-giving member of the body of Christ.
Question: Have you ever experienced the poison of these “weeds” in a church setting?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: are you a weed, Christ, enemy's kingdom, evil, Jesus, kingdom of God, offense, parable, poison, return of Christ, sin, stumbling, the last days, the world, weed, weeding, without law
I believe that we’re in the Last Days before the return of Christ. Did you know about the weeding that is going to take place in the Last Days? Christ taught about it during His earthly ministry. Very few people talk about it because it doesn’t fit into their view of the end times.
I want to take a few posts to examine this important concept. I think that it’s important for every believer to know what to expect on the road ahead.
The following is based upon the events and teachings found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13 and verses 24-41. I encourage you to read that passage first, before continuing this post. You will have a greater understanding of what I’m saying.
This is actually the second teaching given by Jesus concerning the last days. He gave it to the disciples in parable form.
At this point the disciples already knew that there would be a day of resurrection sometime in the future. They knew that on that day the graves would be opened. Someday all believers will rise with a new resurrected body. In this teaching, Jesus builds upon that knowledge.
In the parable, the Lord teaches about a farmer who sowed good seed in the ground. Secretly, an enemy sowed bad seed during the night. When asked what he would do about it, the farmer said that he would let both plants grow together until the harvest. That way he could tell the difference between the weeds and the wheat.
The disciples had no idea what Jesus was talking about. Later on in the day, the disciples found themselves alone with the Lord. They took that opportunity to ask Him about it. It’s Jesus’ explanation that I want to talk about.
According to the Lord, sons of the kingdom (that’s us), were sown into the world. But the devil also sowed his sons into the world. According to the parable there are two kingdoms, on earth, growing side by side. I believe that’s where all the spiritual tension comes from that we are presently experiencing.
The kingdom of God and the world are both headed in opposite directions. They have two different kings and vastly different goals. As we approach the end, both kingdoms are going to start developing to the point where they’re bearing fruit. The closer we get to the return of the Lord, the clearer we will see both the church of Jesus Christ and the world for what they truly are.
It is the overlap of the world and the church that causes the problems. This parable addresses what God intends to do about it in the Last Days. This is a very important subject. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to this blog for email delivery, so you won’t miss any of the posts.
Question: How have you experienced the tension between the kingdom of God and the world?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, disciples, end times, harvest, Jesus, kingdom of God, last days, parable, resurrected body, resurrection, resurrection day, return of Christ, second coming, side by side, spiritual tension, teaching, the world, two kingdoms, weeding
Throughout His ministry, Jesus gave many parables concerning the end-times. One of the most well know is of the ten virgins. I want to take a few posts to talk about this parable.
The Spirit and the Word 