I’ve been posting about the Biblical principle of Sonship. In my last post I talked about Zacchaeus from Luke chapter 19. Jesus had just called him down from the tree and told him that He was coming to Zacchaeus’ home.
Zacchaeus had no idea what was about to happen.
So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
Luke 19:6-7
These two verses show us in a tangible way the difference between using the power of the law and the power of the Spirit. The law is always trying to block your way. It says that you must get yourself ready before you can abide with Christ. The religious people thought that there was no way that Christ should enter Zacchaeus’ home.
I’m writing this so that you’ll know for a certainty that it doesn’t matter how you start out. Your problems, failings and lack of commitment are all things of the past. You can start fresh by abiding with Christ today. The time to run to the Lord is before you try to fix yourself up. It’s only as you remain in His presence that you receive the power for changing your life.
Look at what happened to Zacchaeus.
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Luke 19:8-10
Salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house. We usually misunderstand what salvation is all about. If you can grasp its total impact in Scripture, salvation actually includes all of God’s life changing and restoring power. It was this power that was manifest in Zacchaeus’ life that day. His love of money dissipated in the light of the Spirit’s love.
But the more importantly, Jesus said that he, too, is a son. He may have gone his own way for a while, but Zacchaeus was loved by the Father. The Lord was clear that He came seeking Zacchaeus.
It’s an interesting perspective because Zacchaeus thought that he was seeking Christ. It’s just like our spiritual worship. If we will “bend forward to kiss” the Lord, then He will bend forward to kiss us.
The greatest ministry of Christ was that He came to seek and save that which was ruined. Right now the body of Christ in America is full of ruined sons. It’s time to seek the Lord.
What we’ll find is that in our seeking of Him it’s actually the Lord who’s seeking us. It’s time for us as believers not get saved, but to BE SAVED. We need to rise up to our rightful place and position of Sonship.
This can only happen as we see the importance of our relationship with the Father. This means that we understand how to relate as sons and daughters to our heavenly Father.
Question: How does Sonship change your view of who you are as a believer?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: abide with Christ, Christ, daughter of God, Jesus, power, power of the spirit, restoration, salvation, seeking, seeking Christ, Son of God, sonship, sonship beats the law, the law
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
This is my final post in my series about the cross. I want to remind you of a verse we looked at when we first started.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Galatians 3:13
The Messiah had to go to the cross – it was a law hidden in the mind of God from eternity past. It was also a law that whoever hung on a cross was under a curse. So, Jesus had to take a curse with Him to the cross.
One of the greatest truths I can think of is this – He had no curse of His own, so Christ took our curse to the cross with Him that day. On top of all that, He took our transgressions with Him as well. What a glorious day that was! The devil had no clue what was about to be unleashed in that hour when Christ declared, “It is finished.”
We are now restored to right fellowship with God, because of the work done on the cross. I only need to accept it by faith in Jesus Christ. I don’t need to work for it or do anything to make up for my past. It has all been washed clean by the blood of the Perfect Sacrifice.
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:14
The Lord didn’t only provide forgiveness and restoration for His people, the Jews. He provided a way of salvation for the entire human race. Even though I was born a Gentile – apart from the promises of God – I can now enter into the covenant of Abraham. Now, because of the cross I can stand as a child of God, washed clean by His blood.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:13-15
Along with our transgressions, the Lord took the entire addendum to the covenant. The law of Moses, that had blocked the way to God for so long, was finally dealt with. Christ, Himself, fulfilled all the terms of that additional provision and left it hanging on the cross for all of Heaven and hell to see.
The Bible is clear that the power of sin is the law. That is the only foothold that the enemy can use against us. It was now done away with. There is now no basis for a charge of any kind against those who are in Christ. The entire kingdom of the enemy now stands powerless against those who know what was accomplished by Christ on the cross.
So many powerful events surrounded the crucifixion of Christ. The sun went dark as earthquakes rumbled throughout the earth. The veil that sealed off the Holy Place of the temple ripped completely in half. The ground opened up and many saints who had died were seen walking about during the next few days. We cannot even fathom the power that was released when Messiah was killed according to the plan of God.
We need a deeper revelation of the cross. Rather than a place of pain and weakness, it has become, to us, a monumental victory. If only we could understand and embrace the power that was released that day.
Question: How has the cross changed your life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: Christ, cross of Christ, curse, curse of sin, fellowship with God, forgiveness, Jesus, Messiah, power of the cross, restoration, transgressions, victory, victory of the cross
There are times when we pick up a bad attitude towards God. This usually happens when we feel that God isn’t listening to us. We think He’s ignoring us. There was a time in Israel that the people felt the same way.
After they returned from captivity in Babylon, the prophet Malachi was sent with a message from God. Listen to the exchange.
“I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’”
Malachi 1:2a
God gets right down to the basics. It’s all about His love for us. He loves us with an everlasting love.
That love is also a tough love. It’s like a parent who will not let their child touch a hot stove. The Bible clearly teaches that discipline flows out of the Father’s love. That’s usually when we get upset.
In the face of God’s love, the people respond with, “How have you loved us?” It’s a slap in God’s face. They’re saying, “Prove it, God.” It implies that they see no evidence of God’s love.
Why this attitude. It could be because they had just returned from Babylon. Their fields were overgrown. They were surrounded by their enemies. The temple they worshipped in was vastly inferior to the one Solomon built.
“Look at what’s happening to me, God. How can You possibly say that you love me.”
The thing is, we do this all the time in our attitudes. Here’s what they didn’t understand. The condition they found themselves in was because of their sin. It got so bad that they were captured and taken from their homeland.
Now they’ve repented. They’ve turned away from the false gods and were brought back to the land of promise. This is where the attitude springs up.
“Lord I repented, why aren’t things like they were before?”
This is what we need to learn as well. Repentance does not equal restoration. How do you get restoration?
Look at it this way. Spiritually speaking, you spent years planting weeds. Now your life is growing nothing but dandelions and chicory. You see the error of your ways and you repent. Immediately you want God to turn all your weeds into porterhouse steaks! I can tell you from the Word of God, and my own experience – it rarely ever happens that way.
What do you need to do? You dig up the weeds, plant new seed, and wait for the new harvest. Yes, you can trust God for an abundant harvest; and even a quick harvest. But there will still be a period of waiting for the blessings to appear.
Repentance and restoration. They go hand in hand. It’s just that restoration sometimes takes a little longer than we want it to. I repent and replant. Then I remember to keep my attitudes pure as I wait on the Lord to restore what was lost.
Question: What has the Lord restored in your life? How long did it take?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: bad attitude, God, God not listening, God silent, God's love, harvest, planting, repentance, repentance and restoration, restoration, seed, sowing, tough love
In my last post I talked about deciding to walk in excellence. It’s never too late with God.
I looked at God’s promise of restoration to the nation of Israel. But what about our ministry under the New Covenant? Does God expect us to walk in a spirit of excellence?
If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
II Corinthians 3:9-12
The two verses we looked at in the last post were from that former ministry that condemned men. The glory that God exhibited back then was indeed glorious. But Paul says in verse 10 that we are now living in the day when God wants to exhibit His excellent glory.
When I think about the glory He showed in the Old Testament, I wonder how it could be any better. He ordained a place of worship that was lined in gold. Even the utensils used in its service were mostly of gold and silver. The priests themselves were lavishly dressed – the high priest having precious stones on his garment.
But wait a minute. Remember, that excellence is not about things, but about spirit. It’s based on who you are. Do you excel beyond the normal and the expected? This is different for everyone.
In some places it might mean a large building and the latest technology. In other places around the world, however, excellence might mean a building with a roof that doesn’t leak. I’ve found that in some cultures, just starting a meeting on time is a mark of the spirit of excellence. Remember that it’s not the “what” of the ministry that makes it excellent, it is the “why.”
The preceding verse goes so far as to say that your boldness will be based on the excellence that your ministry exhibits. If you’re content with an “I’ll just get by” spirit, then it will show in your lack of boldness. But one who has learned to step out and believe God for that which is excellent, will be just as willing to believe Him in other areas of his life.
It’s only those who are bold for Christ who are willing to go beyond the normal church routine and enter the realm of the excellent. There are many that desire to be average, simply because they don’t want to attract attention. This is just the opposite of what God wants.
He’s looking for a people who will allow Him to shine through them. That should be our desire as well. Then the world will see and be attracted to the excellent glory of God revealed in us. Oh, that the Church would rise up in excellence and boldness, that the world might once again be turned upside down for the glory of God!
Question: How does excellence and boldness play a role in your life and ministry?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: beyond, boldness, excellence, excellence in ministry, excellent, excellent glory, expected, glory, God, God's promise, ministry, ministry of excellence, normal, restoration, turn the world upside down, walk of excellence
The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground – in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Deuteronomy 28:11-13
Israel was called by God to walk in excellence. To live at that level requires above average resources. Scripture is clear that along with the calling we can expect the supernatural equipping of God. He never calls you to a work and then leaves you to use your own strength and ability.
God wants you to have excellence in ministry. He wants you to have all that you need to fulfill that ministry. God has never been the God of “just enough.”
Some may say, “It’s too late for me. I’ve wasted too many years in mediocrity to be able to walk in excellence now.”
To you I say, “Let God be God.” You take care of your part, and He’ll take care of His. The above verse was written to Israel so they would know God’s perfect will for their nation, which was that they might walk in excellence.
There was a problem, however. In the next chapters, Moses went on to prophesy through the Spirit that they would fall away from their divine calling and lose the abundance of excellence. He then goes further into the future showing them that eventually they would repent and return to the way God had chosen for them to walk.
The next verse explains what God said His reaction would be when they once again returned to a walk of excellence.
Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers.
Deuteronomy 30:9
Praise God for the once again in the Lord. All God is looking for is someone to humble themselves before Him. This will require the person to admit his or her mistakes, repent, and turn back to the right path.
He wants the fruit of your hands to flow with excellent prosperity. You need to be listening for His voice and watching for His leading. If you find that you’ve blown it, then be quick to admit it, repent, and move on.
Question: How has God equipped you for your calling?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: excellence, excellence in ministry, excellence restored, excellent, God's will, humble, humility, mediocrity, repentance, resources, restoration, restoration of God, supernatural equipping, walk of excellence
I’ve been posting about the first great move of God after the Dark Ages. The Lord was using His people to restore the Bible as the foundation for faith and practice in the church.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4
It’s obvious from the lives of these people, that they were able to endure beyond the normal experience. It was their reliance on the Scripture that brought them to this level.
Who were these dedicated believers?
There were the Cathari in France. They believed that tradition, alone, is not a basis for faith. So they started printing and circulating Scripture. Pope Innocent III actually called for a crusade against them. Not only did he wipe them out, but the entire local population as well.
Another name to remember was Peter Waldo. Around this time he started preaching the Word of God and circulating Scripture. His followers were called the Waldensians. They fared a little better. When the order was given to kill them all, they were able to flee. This community of Christians escaped to the mountain caves of Northern Italy, where they still exist today.
One of the more famous names of this move was John Wycliffe, from England. Again, his goal was to preach the Word and get the Scripture into the hands of God’s people. His followers were called the Lollards. Unfortunately, they had to give up their lives for the faith. They were martyred by Kings Henry the IV and V.
In many cases, the problem with our humanity is that we don’t want to know that we’re wrong. The fact is that I need Scripture to correct me and then show me how to get back on solid ground again. Many don’t want to admit their need for change. Especially when there’s political power involved. That was a big reason that they crucified the Lord.
The list goes on and on of those who started preaching a new way of following Christ – using the Scripture as the standard of their lives. It includes such men as St. Jerome, John Huss, John Calvin, and Martin Luther. Many people don’t know that Luther was actually working on a German translation for the common people to read. Most of these saints of God were persecuted and killed.
Their commitment is summed up pretty well in a line from the dedication page of the KJV Bible: “So that if, on the one side, we shall be traduced by…persons at home or abroad, who therefore will malign us, because we are poor instruments to make God’s holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the people, whom they desire still to keep in ignorance and darkness;”
I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice so that I could have a foundation for my faith. And, so that you could know the truth of God for yourself.
Question: What’s the best way to show our gratefulness to God for our unlimited access to the Scripture?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: access to Scripture, Bible, Cathari, caves, change, correction, crusade, dedicated, endurance, endure, foundation of faith, grateful, John Wycliffe, King Henry, lives laid down for the scripture, Lollards, martyrs, move of God, need for change, Peter Waldo, political power, Pope Innocent, restoration, restoration of truth, revival, sacrifice, Scripture, truth of God, Waldensians
In my last post, I talked about the church’s descent into the Dark Ages. It was a horrible time in history. Many people ask, “How could all this have happened?” What about all that the Bible teaches?
The bottom line is, that at that time, the Church was the ultimate authority in the life of the believer. Their teaching was viewed as infallible. The clergy would not allow the common people own a Bible.
“We’ll explain to you the truth you need to know.”
Around 1300 A.D., it seems that God finally said, “Enough – I’ve got to prepare my bride for my coming.” The Lord had to rearm his church. As I look at the flow of history, I see that God was restoring the armor of Ephesians 6. The bride had to be dressed and ready for the Lord.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
Ephesians 6:14a
First thing that was needed to be restored was the Belt of Truth. This is what the church desperately hungered for at that time. We need a foundation of truth.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
I would never have known truth without Scripture. I need to be taught the principles of God.
It seems that the church was without hope at this time. The door to heaven was locked and the priests had the only key.
I think that it’s no coincidence that the printing press was invented during this period. I also believe that it was a direct result of the move of God. The first book printed with this new technology was the Bible.
The above verse tells me that sometimes I need to be rebuked, to be told when I’m wrong. It’s how I react that tells whom I serve. Am I willing to listen to the Holy Spirit and change, or am I hard-hearted and rebellious?
Thus, some of the greatest persecution of God’s people began. Unfortunately it was not from unbelievers, but from the organized church, itself.
God started moving in the lives of His servants. It was small at first. Believers who wanted to read and study the Bible for themselves.
It’s hard for us in the United States to fathom this. Most Christians have more than one Bible in their home. We have access in stores and online. We’re free to read Scripture whenever and wherever we want.
Throughout history this has not always been the case. In my next post I’ll wrap up this series by recounting some of the precious saints of God who laid down their lives for us to have the abundance of Scripture that we now enjoy.
Question: How much do you appreciate your access to Scripture? How do you show it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: armor of God, authority of the church, belt of truth, Bible, Bible teaching, church, church history, dark ages, first move of restoration, foundation of truth, history, Holy Spirit, hopeless, move of God, organized church, persecution, principles of God, printing press, rebuke, restoration, revival, Scripture, truth, without hope
I believe that there’s a great revival coming soon to the church in America. Sometimes we need to see how God has worked in the past, if we’re going to prepare for the future.
“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many.
Isaiah 51:1-2
It’s important to see how far we’ve come. Sometimes I get discouraged by the present condition of the church. But when I look at where we started, it’s encouraging to know how close we are to Christ’s return.
Many talk about revival and restoration. Do we really understand what that means? We need to look at history because every move of God depends upon the truth He’s already restored.
Let’s go back 2000 years – to the infant church. It was an incredible time in the spiritual realm. Thousands of people were saved at a time. Healings and miracles were commonplace.
The dead were raised. Jails were opened up.
Yes, there were some “baby churches,” like Corinth, who weren’t walking in their call the way they should have been. But the power of God was manifest throughout the known world. The church grew incredibly for 300 years.
Then something earthshaking happened. In 314 A.D., the Roman emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. In this act, he planted the seeds of destruction. Constantine used Christianity to gain political power.
From then on that spirit started to infect the church. Think about how the government runs the IRS, welfare, and healthcare. Now picture the government running the church.
It’s no wonder that the descent to the Dark Ages began. It was a downhill slide for the next 1000 years.
This spirit of earthly power took root in the church. The Church, and specifically the popes, claimed the authority to rule over kings. Many wars were started over this issue.
The practice of simony, the purchase of offices, was common. Sanctuaries become more magnificent inside and out. As the worship services increased in splendor, there was a decrease in spirituality.
At one point there was a meeting between Thomas Aquinas and Pope Innocent II. The Pope showed Thomas the abundance of wealth that the church possessed – money, gold, and art.
Pope Innocent exclaimed, “You see, Thomas, the church can no longer say silver and gold have I none.”
To which Thomas replied, “True, but neither can she now say rise up and walk.”
These and many other abuses were prevalent in the Dark Ages. As I look back and see what the Lord has taken us from, it gives me hope for our generation.
In my next post, I’ll talk about what God did to bring about a change in that dark period of church history.
Question: Are you expecting to see a great move of God in our generation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, Christ's return, church history, condition of the church, Constantine, dark ages, discouraged, infant church, move of God, Pope Innocent II, restoration, revival, simony, spirit of earthly power, spirituality, Thomas Aquinas, truth, United States
The past week has been very challenging to us as a community and a nation. I live and minister in Watertown, Massachusetts. It’s a tiny area where not much seems to happen – until now.
I have a friend who was at the Boston Marathon. Upon looking at the pictures they took, they saw the terrorists standing right next to them in the crowd.
My daughter works in the Watertown Mall. She arrived at 10 pm for an overnight inventory shift. At 2 am they were informed by FBI agents that the store (and the town) was in lockdown – no one in or out.
I have a member of our church who lived in the area of town where she witnessed explosions and gunfire that evening. She spent the rest of the night comforting her children and grandchildren as she saw Swat Teams sweeping her neighborhood.
What’s happening in our nation? Where are the days when this only happened in other parts of the world and we only watched the events on TV?
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Psalms 33:12
I believe that the protections we enjoyed in the past were due to the heritage of faith laid down by our godly forefathers. That was then, this is now. We have become a nation where any public reference to Jesus Christ is considered an abuse against society.
We have effectively told God that we don’t want Him interfering in our schools, courts, or politics. Then, in times of crisis, we ask where He went to. We have become so enamored by our own prowess that we think we have the answer to all our problems.
I do not believe this is the judgment of God on America. He is a God of grace. Instead, the Lord is respecting our wishes for Him to keep His hands out of our business.
No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
Psalms 33:16-17
America needs a change of heart and not a change of politics. We desperately hunger for revival. God’s people must awaken from slumber and turn the tide upon their knees. That is where true restoration will come from.
I believe that the recent events will be a part of the call to us. The pressure is on. Are we willing to pray the price required to save our nation? It is time for us to rise to our feet and be true men and women of God.
Question: How have these events affected your faith? How will you respond?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, America terrorists and the Lord, awakening, Boston, Boston Marathon, change of heart, Christ, explosions, faith, FBI, forefathers, godly, heritage of faith, Jesus, MA, Massachusetts, public, restoration, revival, swat team, terrorists, the Lord, United States, USA, Watertown
I’ve been posting about the Biblical principle of Sonship. In my last post I talked about Zacchaeus from Luke chapter 19. Jesus had just called him down from the tree and told him that He was coming to Zacchaeus’ home.
The Spirit and the Word 