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Tag Archives: spiritual light

Suffering for Doing Good

19 May
Suffering for Doing Good

We’re continuing to go through Peter’s first letter. The apostle is now going to talk about how to handle resistance from the world. It’s something we will all experience, even if we don’t live in an area with heavy persecution.

Remember, Peter’s goal is always to portray Christ to the world.

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?

1 Peter 3:13 NIV

Peter asks us, who is it that will bring evil against you? He’s talking about any kind of evil, from injury to exasperation. This is especially true if you’re eager to do good.

The word he uses for eager is important for understanding this question. He’s literally saying if you become a Zealot for good. One thing we need to know is that this word, Zealot, referred to a group of Jews who were anti-Roman terrorists at that point in history.

This seems like an oxymoron. A terrorist for good. But I believe that’s from the world’s perspective.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 3:19-20 NIV

We can see from this verse, that light terrorizes those who love darkness. That’s what happens when we live a “radically good” life. When someone acts in an evil way against us and we go out of our way to bless them.

So, Peter asks who would try to hurt you for that? Then, he thinks about his experience in this area.

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”

1 Peter 3:14 NIV

What if you’re passionately burdened to do righteousness? Here’s what Peter has learned from his experiences.

First, you’re supremely blessed, well off, happy, fortunate. That’s the first and most important thing you need to know. That’s the basis for overcoming in spite of this resistance.

You had better prepare for this, just like Christ. Because we will all have to face these issues at some point.

The apostle starts by telling us to not be afraid or shaken. He lets us know that we don’t have to fear the things that frighten the world. And we’re not shaken by the things that toss them.

The world gets all upset and fearful about politics, the economy, and natural disasters. We must not give in to fear because we know who controls our life and our world.

This is one of the biggest areas we need to work on as Christians in our generation. When you see what’s taking place online and in social media, many times believers seem as stressed out as the world. We can’t be acting like people without the hope of Christ Jesus in us.

It’s time for us to start acting like Jesus is Lord and God is in control. Stop running around like the world and settle down to be accomplishing the will of the Father. Spend time in His presence to pick up His heartbeat. Then, do what you’re called to do.

Question: How free are you from the anxiety we see in the world?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 19, 2025 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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Walking with Christ

06 Oct
Walking with Christ

We’re going through the letter to the Philippian church. In my last post, we talked about truly knowing Christ. Not just a surface knowledge of what’s written about Him in Scripture. I’m talking about truly knowing Him personally.

We left off looking at Paul’s desire in this regard.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:10-11 NIV

I want to know Christ. Our vocabulary is watered down sometimes. We talk about how long we’ve known Christ, but what we really mean is how long we’ve been saved. Our salvation and truly knowing Christ are two separate issues entirely.

To know someone deeply, you need to spend time with them, one on one. One of the best ways is to walk together. The Bible uses that analogy over and over again concerning our relationship with Christ.

When you walk with Christ for the purpose of knowing Him better, things start to take place.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NIV

One of the big results is that you will not walk in darkness. In other words, the Holy Spirit will begin to guide you every step of the way. You don’t have to wander around through life. Your direction forward will be clear.

This is how Jesus lived and ministered when He was with the disciples. When He heard that His friend, Lazarus was sick, He waited a couple of days. After that, He called them together.

Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?”
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”

John 11:7-10 NIV

The Lord was led by the Spirit in all that He did. He didn’t go somewhere just because it was expected of Him. On the other hand, He didn’t stay away because of a fear of being killed.

Fear of the future is one of humanity’s greatest fears. We worry about what’s ahead all the time. But if we walk with Christ, listening to the voice of His Spirit, then we need not fear.

If the Spirit is leading, then He’s also protecting.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

Psalms 138:7 NIV

That’s why we need to cultivate a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. He’s our guide through all the uncertainties of life.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21 NIV

I love this verse. In it I see the Holy Spirit as my “Life GPS”. We can’t afford to live without His presence.

That’s what a close, personal walk with Christ is all about. Learning to spend time in His presence. But not doing all the talking. Allow the Spirit of Christ to speak to us, then be ready to obey that voice.

That’s the real blessing of a walk with God.

Question: What was the last guidance you received from the Holy Spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 6, 2023 in Faith, Power of God, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Driven By the Light

31 May
Driven By the Light

We’re continuing our study through the letter to the Ephesian church. In my last post I discussed how we were to act in the body of Christ. Now Paul talks about why he gave those instructions.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10

This verse tells us that we should live the way a child of the light should live. The fruit of the light is the evidence that we’re walking in the light.

What is that light? The light in our lives is the knowledge of God. I don’t mean knowing about God. I’m talking about a personal knowledge of Him. The better we know Him, the more light we walk in.

That’s what qualifies us as children of light. We know the Lord, personally. We hear His voice and obey Him. We are children of light because we walk in the light of God’s Word.

This passage literally says that as children of the light, we need to test and approve what is well pleasing to the Lord. The more we walk in His light – the more we learn about pleasing Him.

It’s by pleasing the Lord that we secure the anointing. That’s a key concept that many miss out on.

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
1Thessalonians 2:4

I’ve asked this before. Where is your heart set? Who are you trying to please? Your anointing (God’s approval of your ministry) is resting on that answer. It’s not about how much you want it; instead, it’s wrapped up in the direction your heart is taking you.

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21

What we have to realize is that in our own power we can never be well pleasing to God. It only comes from time spent in His presence. Only God’s power can secure our anointing.

We have to position ourselves to receive His power that works through us. We have to be driven to walk in the anointing.

This means that we have set our heart on it. It’s all about getting close enough in the spirit, to find out what’s well pleasing to Him. It’s the only way to get ourselves in the position to receive.

In the final analysis it can only be accomplished by His power at work in us.

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
2 Corinthians 5:9

Be driven to please God.

Question: What is God calling you to do that will require His power to accomplish?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2023 in Anointing, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Eyes of Our Mind

03 Mar
The Eyes of Our Mind

As we continue through the book of Ephesians, we’re looking at the blessings of a mature walk with God. In my last post, I talked about the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Now, Paul will show us more of these blessings.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…

Ephesians 1:18 NIV

In this verse, Paul talks about something we should view as very important. The NIV translation is poor at this point. In the original Greek, the apostle says that he wants the eyes of our mind to be lit up. The mind being the faculty of our understanding.

We need to understand this. The eyes of our mind is an important concept in Scripture. It’s something that Jesus emphasized throughout His ministry. As a matter of fact, if you think about eyes that are lit up, the book of Revelation describes Christ as having eyes that blazed like fire (Revelation 1:14).

We have to realize that in the pages of Scripture there are two sets of eyes. There are the natural, physical set of eyes that we see the world with. But then, there’s another set of eyes that are always talked about. They’re our inner eyes.

That’s what Paul’s talking about when he says, the eyes of our minds. They’re the same eyes that Jesus talked about when He rebuked the crowds who were listening to His teaching.

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Matthew 13:15 NIV

Jesus is frustrated with these people because they’ve closed their inner eyes. Because of this condition, they couldn’t understand who He was or what He was offering them.

As believers, we can’t afford to close the eyes of our mind to the things God is showing us. It’s the key to all of our fulfillment in Christ. In another passage, the Lord put it in very clear terms – if you know which eyes He’s talking about.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Matthew 6:22-23 NIV

We need to walk before God with these eyes wide open. I have to be seeking Him and His ways no matter where His Holy Spirit leads me. That’s what faith is all about.

I agree to follow the Lord’s will for my life before I know what it is. I trust that the Holy Spirit has the best path worked out for me.

In the above verse from Ephesians, the word for hope literally means expectation. If I keep my eyes open – seeking God’s ways, I will know what to expect concerning my calling. I may not see the finish line, but I’ll know the next step that I need to take.

On top of that, since I know that it’s God who’s leading me, I also know that I have an inheritance with all the saints. I know that my reward is secure. My future is something to look forward to. I don’t have to worry about what’s happening all around me.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

1 John 1:5-6 NIV

This is the level at which Christ wants all of His followers to attain to. We should all seek to live by the truth with our eyes wide open. This requires intimate prayer times in the Holy Spirit. That’s the road to a victorious life in Christ.

Question: What’s the condition of your “inner eyes”?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 3, 2023 in Faith, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Full of Light

17 Jun
Full of Light

We’re continuing in our study of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus is teaching on the importance of hearing and obeying God’s Word.

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.”

Luke 11:33 NIV

I believe that the Lord is speaking about Himself in this verse. Many times He referred to Himself as the Light of the world (John 8:12).

The religious leaders were making an effort to subdue this light. They wanted to silence Jesus to keep His Word from going forth.

Jesus explains to them that His purpose is for all to see His light. God has sent Him into the world to give spiritual sight to those who will listen.

Then, the Lord makes a very interesting statement.

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.”

Luke 11:34-35 NIV

What He says really catches my attention. Recently, I felt the Holy Spirit directing me to do a study of light and darkness in the Scripture. Along with that, since my background is in science, I did a study of light in the physical world.

Light is actually made up of sub-atomic particles called photons. Biblically speaking, these were the very first things God created when He said, “Let there be light!”

I was recently reading about some cutting edge research. They wrote that it has been discovered that every cell in our body contains structures that harness and direct the flow of photons.

It’s very possible that our cells communicate through a type of fiber-optics rather than simple electrical impulses. However, this research is still in its infancy. Be that as it may, we know that our brains are full of photons – these particles of light.

We also know that in the natural, our bodies need light to function properly. That’s why there are seasonal disorders. We get depressed in the winter if we don’t get enough sunlight.

You may be asking what does all of this have to do with what Jesus said. I believe that many times things in the spiritual work like they do in the natural.

Just like our physical bodies need sunlight, our spiritual beings need the light of God’s Word. Many Christians have a “seasonal disorder” because of a lack of exposure to the Word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalms 119:105 NIV

If we want our spiritual man to be full of light, then we need to be walking in the light of God’s Word. Take this to heart. We don’t want to be walking with inner darkness.

“See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”

Luke 11:35-36 NIV

This verse literally say that we need to make it our aim, our focus, not to let the light in us become dark. Keep the light intense. Focus on the Word of God.

In that way we’ll be able to clearly see the path before us. Don’t be like the foolish leaders who didn’t like what they saw when the light shined on them. Allow it to change you into who God desires you to become.

Spend time in the Word. Let it fully light up your life.

Question: How has God’s Word brought you spiritual light?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2022 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Word – Good News and Bad News

01 Apr
The Word – Good News and Bad News

As we continue through the Gospel of Luke, we just finished looking at the Parable of the Sower. In that section of Scripture, we saw the different responses to the Word of God as we receive it. Now Jesus comments on the overall effects of the Word.

“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.”

Luke 8:16

The Lord is still talking about the results of God’s Word in a person’s life. The Word is like a light in a dark place. It illuminates large areas of our lives. We know this from other parts of Scripture as well.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalms 119:105

As we spend time in the presence of the Lord, the Holy Spirit gives us insight into many things. He prepares us for the road ahead. He gives us instructions to carry out. He also warns us of sin and faults that we need to repent of and turn from.

The only reason for turning on a light is to see your surroundings better. Lighting a lamp, and then covering it up, is both illogical and foolish.

It’s the same with God’s Word to us. So many believers want to know God’s will for their lives. They ask how to hear His voice speaking to them. Then, once they hear from the Lord, many times they choose to ignore His Spirit.

The best approach is to commit to follow the Lord’s leading before you ever receive His Word. The only acceptable answer to Him is, “Yes, Lord!”

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

Luke 8:17

However, there’s both good news and bad news in hearing God’s voice. The good news is that everything is revealed and brought into the open. Of course, the bad news is that everything is revealed and brought into the open.

I don’t believe Jesus is talking about revealing your deepest secrets to the world. He’s talking about disclosing things to you about yourself that you’ve hidden away.

Many times, in God’s presence, I’ve learned things about myself that I had no clue about. In those times I had a choice. Either I deal with the issue, with God’s help, or ignore it and continue walking toward that spiritual cliff.

I’d love to tell you that I always made the right choice. However, that would be a lie. But, I am learning to obey the voice of the Spirit more and more as He sheds His light on my path.

“Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

Luke 8:18

As in most areas of life, attitude is everything. The Lord shows the result of either decision we make when His light shines on our lives.

In this verse, the word He uses is “holds”. Whoever holds on to it, will be given more. When I embrace God’s Word to me, I prepare myself for more to come.

In contrast to that, I can choose not to hold on to the Word I’ve heard. I can say, “I’m doing okay. I don’t need to change anything right now. Maybe in the future.” In that case, I actually begin to lose ground in the spirit.

We need to be spending quality time in the Spirit, listening for God’s voice. But, that comes with a warning. Once you’ve heard from Him, don’t ignore what you’ve heard. Obey the Lord’s instructions no matter how difficult you think they are.

Question: What’s the last thing you heard from the Holy Spirit?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2022 in Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Teacher – A Lamp (Repost)

01 Jul

Over the next week or so I’m going to be away, visiting family.  So during that time, I’m reposting one of my more popular series.

For the last couple of posts, I’ve been talking about teachers in the body of Christ.  I showed that true teachers bring light to our Christian walk.  In our generation there’s a lot of teaching from the Bible going forth; but is it directed by the Holy Spirit?

In His ministry, Jesus made some statements that the disciples couldn’t understand.  Many of them pertained to the church.  They would only understand them after the resurrection.

One of them pertained to the body.

“Your eye is the lamp of your body.  When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.”
Luke 11:34

I think you can agree that this is not talking about our internal organs being lit up.  The Lord is dealing with a deeper issue here.

To understand what Jesus is saying, you have to look at the greater context.  He starts this section by talking about the preaching of Jonah.  All of Nineveh repented when they heard his preaching.

The Lord then talks about King Solomon.  The Queen of the South came all the way from Central Africa to hear his wisdom.

Christ was showing the high value that people placed upon hearing a Word from God.  The people who heard Jonah and Solomon didn’t just want to know what the Bible said.  They were looking for something that would change their lives.

Look at the very next thing that Jesus says after explaining about Jonah and Solomon.

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl.  Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.”
Luke 11:33

The reason that these two men were called to their roles, was not to simply enjoy their times with the Lord.  They were to use their gifts to bring light to those who needed it.

The people of Nineveh needed to understand repentance so that the judgment of God could be averted.  The Queen of the South needed to understand how to rule her people wisely.  They needed someone to light the path ahead of them.

That’s what Jesus is talking about when He says that the eyes are the lamp of the body.  I believe that He’s talking about the need for Holy Spirit directed teaching in the body of Christ.

We need to come back to this truth in our generation.  I believe that this is one of the things that God is trying to restore in us.

We can see it in the church of today.  There are ministries where the people know their place in Christ and are secure in their walk with God.  There are other parts of God’s kingdom where the believers seem to be doing as they please – simply living for themselves.

We need to be praying for the church.  Pray that God would continue to raise up teachers after His own heart.  We need the body of Christ to be full of light.

Question: Why is human-led teaching so accepted in some areas?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2020 in Anointing, Ministry, The Church, Word of God

 

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Faith + Love = Righteousness (Repost)

27 Aug

I’m taking a couple of weeks to do some hiking and praying off in the woods.  While I’m gone I’ve felt that I should repost my Top 10 most read articles.  Some of you have been following me long enough to have read them already.  If so, my prayer is that they will again be a blessing to you.

At one time I did a series of posts about the parable of the Ten Virgins from Matthew 21.  To see that original series, click here.

In that series, I showed that the light is our righteousness shining into the darkness around us.  If righteousness is our light, then what constitutes the oil and the lamp? It’s the combination of the two that brings light. The relationship between them is what’s important.

Both must be present to produce light. You could have 100 lamps, yet with no oil, there’s no light. Conversely, you could have barrels of oil, yet with no lamp to burn it, there would still be no light. It’s only the combination of lamp and oil that will produce light.

You could say that the light is the oil expressing itself through the lamp. If the light is the manifestation of our righteousness, then we need to discover what the Scripture says about the source.

First, we must see how righteousness is described in the Word of God.

The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
Isaiah 59:15b-17

Here we see God Himself putting on the breastplate of righteousness. Most Christians don’t know that this armor was first seen in the Old Testament. It was not something that the Apostle Paul came up.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…
Ephesians 6:14

So we can know for a certainty that righteousness is our breastplate. This is important because Paul also described it to the Thessalonian church.

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
I Thessalonians 5:8

In this verse, Paul is clearly referring to our spiritual armor. He even makes mention of the helmet of salvation. But instead of assigning righteousness as the breastplate, he says that faith and love are used in that role. Paul is telling us that it’s the combination of our faith and our love working together that completes our righteousness.

I believe that the lamp and the oil represent the operation of love and faith in our spiritual walk. If you go to my original series by clicking the above link, you’ll see a more detailed teaching about how they work together.

Question: How does the absence of either faith or love affect our walk with Christ?

© 2018 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2018 in Faith, Ministry, Return of Christ, Spiritual Walk

 

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Light – The Blessing of Discipleship

29 Jan

We’re continuing to deal with the subject of parables in the Gospel of Mark.  One of the questions that many have is; why did Jesus speak in parables?  Why didn’t He simply state the truth in plain language?  That’s a good question.

The disciples wondered about it too.  Here’s a verse we looked at a few posts ago…

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.  He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.  But to those on the outside everything is said in parables…”
Mark 4:10-11

The word translated secret in this verse is a special word.  It refers to a mystery that you’re not privy to until you’ve joined the group.

Jesus is talking about the secret of the kingdom of God.  It’s something that you won’t understand until you’re actually a member of it.  Once you’re in the kingdom, you can handle the knowledge.

The Lord then went on to explain the parable of the sower.  We looked at that over the last few posts.  He then explains about the kingdom secrets.

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed?  Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?  For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.”
Mark 4:21-22

This question sounds like a no-brainer.  The very purpose of a light is to reveal what’s in the dark.  If you want to remain in darkness, then just don’t bring in the light.  There’s no sense in hiding it.

This statement by Jesus was supposed to be an encouragement to the disciples.  He wanted them to continue to ask questions about His teachings.  There were even times that the Lord asked them, “Do you understand what I just said?”

At that point in history, Jesus was the Light of the world.  He was the one revealing the things of the Father to those in Israel who would listen.

In essence, He was telling the disciples, “You have the light with you right now.  I’m here for a reason.  Let me reveal to you the things that may seem hidden.  I want you to know the secrets of the kingdom.”

The things that had been concealed for ages past were not meant to be kept secret forever.  It was time for those with the faith to trust the Messiah to hear these truths.

But it gets even better than that.  This is a Word to us as well.  Whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.

That’s the job of the Holy Spirit in us.  He’s the One who teaches us all the things we need to understand in our walk with God.

However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

We don’t have to walk around in the dark.  We have the light of the Holy Spirit within us.  Time spent with the Spirit is time spent in the light.  Use this great blessing that we’ve been given.  Walk in the light of the Lord.

Question: What are some things that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you in the past?

© 2018 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2018 in Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Constant Light

27 Feb

BeamWhat are you striving for? That’s an important question that we all need to answer. James had some insight into this issue.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
James 1:16-18

The first thing he tells us is not to be deceived. That’s because the truth goes contrary to what we normally accept as logical in our modern society. We think that to get ahead we need to struggle and sacrifice.

Fortunately, the most valuable thing offered to us, is absolutely free. James makes it clear that if it’s worth having then it comes from God. You can rely on Him to know what you need the most, and to provide it as we trust in Him.

As you probably know from reading my blog – I love to go camping. At night, I love sitting around a campfire under the stars. The fire that I watch produces light. But it isn’t consistent.

The shadows of a campfire move and dance around the whole time. Sometimes the things around me look like they’re moving, even though they’re standing still.

That’s not how God’s light works. The light of His Word is a clear, constant source of blessing for us. I don’t go off in one direction, and then find out that the Lord has changed His mind. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.

It was by God’s wisdom that He chose to give us birth by the Word of Truth. He’s referred to as the Father of Heavenly Lights. It’s His light shining on us that brings us life. In His love and wisdom He sent Christ into the world for that purpose.

This passage is clear. We’ve been given a new birth. It’s a birth that wasn’t flesh and blood, like our original entrance into the world. This birth was through the Word of Truth.

I believe that James is referring to something more than the Bible, as wonderful as that Word is. It’s a Word that speaks to our inner being.

One of the names of Christ is the Word made flesh. It wasn’t a matter of ink and paper coming alive. He’s the living and enduring Word of the Most High God. Christ said of Himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He’s the direct expression of the Word of Truth.

It’s through this Word, Christ Himself, that we’ve been given new birth – if we’ve accepted the free gift of His salvation.

He did this so that He could begin the renovation of the human race in us. That’s what the last part of this verse is all about. The firstfruits of all He created.

This is the beginning of the kingdom of God manifest on earth. Right now it’s difficult to see. It’s taking root in the hearts of men and women throughout the world. But they’re changing, becoming what God intended them to be. His Kingdom is starting in us.

As we let the clear, consistent light of God’s Word shine on us, it will transform us. It won’t take us in random circles, always searching for something better. It will bring us forward from glory to glory as the Holy Spirit works God’s will in us.

The more time I spend in the presence of that Word, the more I become like Him. Don’t ever take the presence of the Lord for granted. It’s a privilege to have access to the throne room of God. It was paid for by the precious blood of Christ. Let the living Word do the work in you that only He can do.

Question: What are some changes that the Word has accomplished in you?

© Nick Zaccardi 2017

 
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Posted by on February 27, 2017 in Faith, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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