Jesus called us to be the light of the world. We are to bring people to the knowledge of Christ. How does this happen? There’s a picture of this in the book of Revelation.
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
Revelation 1:12-13
Through this passage we can gain great insight into the function of a church. This is the point where John begins to see his vision. The first thing that happens is that he hears the voice of the Lord.
Where’s it coming from? He turns around to locate the source and the initial objects of his attention are the golden lampstands. Verse 20 tells us that the lampstands are the churches. So the first thing John sees is the church lighting up the area.
Then, as the view comes into focus, he starts to see the Lord Jesus Christ walking among the churches. We must always remember that when the world hears the voice of the Lord calling them, the first view they’ll get is of the church. It’s only through the light of God’s people that the world will see Christ.
It’s sad today that, in the United States, the church has become the object of such disrespect. The worst part of it is that most of this was brought on by ourselves.
Our pride, arrogance, and foolishness have caused the world to write us off as worthless. Many godless people today feel that if there are any answers to the problems of life, they won’t be found in a church.
Is the picture in Revelation a representation of your church? Can people hear the voice of the Lord there? When they turn to look, do they see Jesus Christ in all His glory?
We are the body of Christ on earth. It’s ultimately through us that the voice of God is heard. How well are we communicating the message?
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20
The presence of the Lord is an incredible thing, and must not be taken lightly in our churches. Jesus walks among us – He is present in all that we do. This knowledge should motivate us to come together in unity of spirit.
The original Greek of the above verse reads that where two or more come together in My name, there I am in the middle of them. The Lord is not just off to the side watching as a spectator does. He stands between us. He wants to be at the center of all that we do.
Walking in unity assumes that there’s more than one person in the mix. We must come into agreement – for that’s the place of power in God. I can’t do it alone.
God has ordained that there’s a special manifestation of His presence when we come together as “the Church.” It must not be ignored or taken lightly. I need to be a part of a local body of believers. I need to be in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
That’s how the world will see Christ in us.
Question: How do we show more of the light of Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: Agreement, body of Christ, book of Revelation, Christ, church, Jesus, knowledge of Christ, light of the world, seeing Jesus, the world, unity, voice of the Lord
This is the final post in a series about the faith of Noah. He’s one of the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews, chapter 11. It says of him that he was warned about the unseen, and built for the future by faith. This is the same thing that each of us is called to do.
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
How we build our lives will be shown for what it really is. After the final tally, some will have no building. The work of others will be burned up. I want to be of the company of those who have a work that lasts.
For this to happen, I must take care how I build, knowing that it’s for eternity. Remember what was said about Noah.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Hebrews 11:7
Look at his results. The choice that he made was far-reaching. In most cases, our choices affect so many others.
First of all we see that it saved his family. He had to take care in how he built. In the midst of the storm they were walking on floorboards that might have been laid down 50 years before. His work had to last.
I might think that when I tithe it only affects me. But that’s not entirely true. It will have an effect upon my children and grandchildren.
The last part of the verse literally says that he condemned the world (system). Every day that we live by God’s standards proves that the world system is wrong. Because of this, I don’t fear what they fear. I don’t have to worry about how the economy is going to affect me or what kind of germs I’m being exposed to.
Just like Noah, we are heirs of righteousness. Please understand that righteousness is the complete package of grace that Christ purchased for us. This includes our healing, prosperity, joy, peace, goodness, and so much more.
By taking care how I build, I put myself in a position to receive from God. There may be things in my life that are not seen yet, but I’m getting into position. We need to make the choice to build for the unseen.
Questions: What are you trusting God for that you haven’t seen yet? How are you building for it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: building, building for the unseen, choices, eternity, faith, fear, future, invisible, position, righteousness, the world, unseen
A little over a year ago I posted a series about Christianity as a counter-culture. I want to pick up that theme again for a few more posts. Too many believers want to keep their feet in both the church and the world. That’s going to become increasingly difficult as we approach the Lord’s return.
The world hates Christ and His people. Please understand what I mean by this. I’m talking about the world system and not the individual people themselves. It’s the system – the way our culture has established itself – that’s against the knowledge of Christ.
The Lord spoke about it.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
John 3:19
We live in a society that hates the light – the knowledge of truth. This is because truth is an agent of change. When I begin to know and understand the truth, I’m responsible to do something with it.
Because of this, the default response of the world is, “I don’t want to know the truth.” They have found that ignorance is bliss – at least in the short term.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:17-18
Here’s what many people don’t understand. Christ didn’t come to condemn the world. And it’s definitely not our job either. We are not here to rebuke sinners for doing what is natural to them.
The problem arises when the light of truth becomes evident. Even though we may not directly condemn anyone, by rejecting the truth they stand condemned. In effect, they’ve condemned themselves.
When you know that there’s a right path, yet you knowingly chose the wrong way, you become self-condemned. At that point the only solution is to cram your life with so many distractions that you never think about this truth.
That’s where our society finds itself today. We have more opportunities to amuse ourselves than ever before. I chose that word on purpose. A-muse – it literally means to not-think.
On the other side of the coin, we as believers should be the ones who don’t fear the truth. We should delight in the presence of the Lord and His Word. We should be welcoming the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We can’t afford to pick up the attitude of the world. Don’t fall victim to the distractions of this age which will short-circuit your destiny in Christ. Spend time in the light of Christ and His truth.
Question: How does walking in the light differ from walking in the darkness?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: Christianity, church, condemnation, counter-culture, culture of darkness, darkness, distractions, knowledge of truth, light, sinners, the world, truth, world system
It used to be that if you were known as a Christian, it was considered a good thing in our society. Now, if you use that term, you’re labeled everything from a loser, to a hypocrite, to emotionally disturbed. Why is that?
It has a lot to do with how we portray ourselves to the world. We say things about ourselves that give hope to the world only to let them down when they find out the real story. I’m not talking about Christ, but about us.
I believe that if we truly portrayed Christ to the world, they’d have a different opinion of us. It’s obvious, even today, that those churches and individuals who walk as Jesus did are drawing many to the cross. What makes the difference?
A few months ago I wrote a post about what it means to be a disciple. You can click here to read it. In that post I said that disciples are more than just students learning what someone taught. They want to become what the teacher is.
This requires us to follow, come near to, experience, and live in Christ and His Word. It’s a deeper walk than many want to attain to in our generation. The reason I bring this up, is a statement I read in the book of Acts.
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Acts 11:26b
It’s a very simple declaration. The first time the disciples were called Christians – little christs – was in a town named Antioch.
This was at a time when the church was walking in the power of God. Even though they were small and suffering some persecution, they were turning their world upside-down with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Notice what Luke doesn’t say. He doesn’t record that the believers were called Christians. It wasn’t all those who attended church. The disciples – those who were striving to live like Christ – were called little christs by the world.
This is why the world largely rejects our witness. They look at how we live versus what we say. They don’t see the same thing in modern Christianity that was evident in the early church.
I know, it’s too late to change our language now but, we can let God change us. If I’m going to wear the name of Christ, then I need to let Him work His plan in me. I want the world to see me in Him.
When we lift up Christ by our lives, the world will gain a different perspective of who we are. It will be easier for them to hear the Gospel. We need to follow the path of true discipleship.
If that’s already your heart’s desire – continue on and let nothing sway you. If the Lord is convicting you about it, then repent and move forward right now. Let the world see Christ through His church.
Question: How would Jesus minister to people in our generation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
Tags: abide, bad press, Christ, Christian, Christianity, disciple, disciple of Christ, experience, follow, hypocrite, Jesus, labels, loser, the world
I’ve been posting about our end-time ministry as the “John the Baptist Generation”. There were some interesting prophecies about John that I believe can be applied to us.
“…because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 1:78-79
Our generation must be a light in the darkness. There has never been a darker time in the modern world. Unless you’re living with your head in the sand, this is an undeniable truth.
We need to understand what being the light entails. It’s obvious that light gets the attention in the dark. There’s no getting around that. We’re not called to just blend into the background.
This is because a light stands in direct opposition to the darkness. There cannot be any two kingdoms that are more opposite than us and the world.
We are not a part of this society. We live here, work here, and have to interact with those around us. We need to be loving, productive, and contributing to the welfare of our community. But the fact is we don’t BELONG here.
You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
1Thessalonians 5:5-6
The word night speaks of a segment of time – but we are eternal. Because we live in the eternal realm, we are of the day.
Dark speaks of a place – but we are seated with Christ in heavenly places; that’s the kingdom of light. This is not our time and place.
We need to be what we’re called to be. It’s not our destiny to blend in and become part of the whole. It’s our calling to show there’s a different way to live.
John the Baptist is an example to us of how to minister to the world while living in the Kingdom of God. It’s time for us to live up to this calling. The world is desperate to hear the message that has been entrusted to us. We need to stop chasing their dreams and live for Christ with an urgency that reflects the times we live in.
This generation of the church must grow up so that we can function as we must at this time in history. Be equipped with the spiritual weaponry. Be listening and hearing a Word from God. Then continue to walk in that word. Finally, if we do these things we will be the light that will draw people to Christ. We are the John the Baptist Generation.
Questions: How much light is the church producing right now? How can that light be increased?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: blending in, calling, Christ, darkness, day, destiny, Jesus, John the Baptist, John the Baptist generation, kingdom of God, light, light in the darkness, live for Christ, message, night, opposition, return of Christ, second coming, spiritual weapons, the world, urgency
As I was reading the Bible the other day, I came across a Scripture that caught my attention. It was describing Christ and how He was revealed to the world. It got me thinking about our relationship to God.
…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:4
Jesus Christ was shown to be the Son of God. Not just by someone’s testimony. It was an act of power by God raising Him from the dead.
That in itself was not news to me. The part that really spoke to my heart was who did the declaring. The passage says that it was through the Spirit of holiness that He was shown to be the Son of God.
That’s what I found to be interesting – the Spirit of holiness. Why did Paul not call Him the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that the more common term? Actually, this is the only place in Scripture where He’s called the Spirit of holiness.
Holiness is something that this generation of believers really needs to come to grips with. It seems that we tend to back away from any mention of holiness. We find it boring and old fashioned.
This is a subject of great importance in the Bible. It’s found throughout the New Testament. We are to be a holy people before God.
Holiness is related to separation. It means to be set apart for God’s purpose.
It’s like this. When Christ found us, we were like a dirty, cast off piece of pottery in the trash heap of the world. When we turned to Him as our Lord and Savior, He rescued us from that place – that’s our salvation.
He then took us as His own and placed us on display in His household. We are now to be exclusively used for the Lord’s purposes. That’s holiness.
As we remain in His house, Christ continues to clean us up and restore us. That’s our sanctification.
By using the term Holy Spirit, we mean the Spirit of God who is set apart from the world and the things of the world. The phrase Spirit of holiness brings it to a whole other realm.
He’s not only the Spirit who is set apart – but the Spirit who sets us apart. He is the Spirit of God who makes us holy. That’s where we try to water down the truth.
We like to think of the Holy Spirit as the power source of the church. Miracles, healings, signs, and wonders always draw a crowd. But separation, on the other hand, sounds too much like commitment.
This generation seems to want the power without the holiness. I believe that it’s time for us to seek the Spirit of holiness. At the place where we are separated for God’s exclusive use, we will find all the power we need to live victoriously and win the lost.
Question: Have you seen examples of the Holy Spirit setting you apart for His use?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, commitment, exclusive use, God, God's purpose, holiness, holy people, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, makes us holy, power of God, relationship with God, resurrection, savior, separation, set apart, Son of God, Spirit of holiness, the world
God is calling His church to a higher level in Christ. The return of the Lord is very close, yet sometimes the church seems to act like we have all the time in the world. Are you complacent about where you are spiritually? Or do you want to see a greater move of God through your life?
At one point in his life, Moses had a similar choice to make.
Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
Exodus 4:19-20
Moses had been away from Egypt for a long time. But in this time of his life, God was calling him to return to his former home. The difference was that this time he had a mission from God – to set his people free. Even so, it still required a long wilderness journey.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to start. The planning and organizing are usually pretty easy.
I enjoy hiking. There are times that I have spent a few days on the trail.
When morning comes and it’s time to move on, thats when the truth of this is made real. It’s not that tough to break camp and put things away into your pack. But when you finally put your pack on, and stand there with your trekking poles in your hand – a subtle transformation occurs.
Suddenly, without warning, the campsite that you’ve called home for the past twelve hours is no longer yours. Now you’re a part of the trail and looking for a new destination.
We may be very satisfied where our life is right now. But this isn’t our destiny – the Lord has a greater work He wants to do in us. When God calls us to a higher level, we can never be satisfied this way again.
Remember that we need to be a people who are packed and ready to go. This world is not our home and the things of this world will never truly fulfill us.
Sometimes we just need to go before the Lord and reiterate to Him our total commitment to following His path for our lives – no matter where it leads. We need to thank Him for the destiny that He has prepared for us. Then, we need to be open and listening for any course changes He may speak to us.
It all depends on our attitude. Am I satisfied where I’m at, or do I hunger to see what God wants to do in these last days?
Question: Do you desire to move up to a new level in Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: attitude, Christ, complacent, course changes, destiny, greater move of God, higher level, hunger for more, Jesus, Lord, Moses, move on attitude, moving on in Christ, return of Christ, satisfied, spiritual, spiritual level, the world
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
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
Jesus called us to be the light of the world. We are to bring people to the knowledge of Christ. How does this happen? There’s a picture of this in the book of Revelation.
The Spirit and the Word 