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
This post is the last in a series about our relationship to the Word of God.
The Book of Revelation mentions synagogues of Satan (Revelation 2:9). These are places where the teaching of Scripture was done by satanic influence. I need the Holy Spirit to help me interpret the Bible. Yet, there are those who listen to the demon’s view of it.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
1 Timothy 4:1
There are those who teach the Bible, but not the Word of God. This is a great deception. Of course no one would listen if a minister got up and said, “Satan says to do this.” But if he reads a Scripture verse and puts a demonic twist to it, the church seems to fall for it most of the time.
Just because someone quotes Scripture doesn’t mean that what they’re preaching is of God. I need the discernment of the Holy Spirit to protect me from false teaching. How can I tell the difference between Satan’s teaching, man’s teaching, and the true Word of God?
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Mark 16:20
This verse literally says that the Lord was a co-worker with them. They did their work – proclaiming the Word of God. God did His part – confirming the Word that was proclaimed. Miracles were commonplace. As the disciples went out, the Word of God spread, and there were signs and wonders everywhere they went.
When Satan quoted the Bible to Jesus (Luke 3:9-11), he used it to try and convince the Lord to jump off the highest point of the Temple. If Jesus had jumped, would God the Father have confirmed that “word”? Of course not.
Just because I quote the Bible, it doesn’t put God under any obligation to confirm it. Even if I’m preaching from a text on healing, there’s no confirmation unless it’s a Word God wants preached at that moment.
There are questions I need to ask myself. Is God working with me? Am I proclaiming the Word of God for these people? If the answer to both of these is “yes”, then I can expect a move of God.
We may not like it, but the truth is plain and simple. If there are no signs following, then it wasn’t the Word of God that was preached.
When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
Acts 8:6
Scripture is very clear as to relationship between the preaching of the Word, and the response of the hearers. When the Word of God is confirmed, there is a supernatural manifestation that draws people’s attention.
America needs a revival of hearing the Word of God. It will only come from those who have received and planted the Word into their lives.
Questions: How hungry are you for a revival to sweep our nation? Are you willing to seek God for it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, Bible, Christ, church, confirming the word of God, deceived, deception, discernment, false teaching, God's word, healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, last days, last-days deception, man's teaching, miracles, proclaim, revival, satanic influence, Scripture, spiritual discernment, synagogue of satan, teaching, truth, word, word of God
I’ve posted in the past about the power of God and the power of sin. How do I know which power I’m using? When I understood the answer to this, I was shocked. I always thought that I was as far from legalistic as you could get. Be prepared, I think that the answer might change your whole outlook as well.
My goal is to answer two questions over the next few posts. Why does the church seem to have no power? And what do we need to do to get it back?
When I say this, I’m comparing us to what I read in the book of Acts. I’m also thinking about the stories I heard from my grandparent’s generation. They came to the Lord in the wake of the Azuza Street revival. When they were saved they saw miracles, healings, signs, and wonders. What has happened to us since then?
You may think as I did, “I’m not legalistic.” But do we even know what legalism looks like? Let’s find out what the New Testament has to say about it.
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
Galatians 3:1-2
The word translated foolish in the above verse literally means not thinking. Paul is asking these Galatian Christians why they are not thinking about what they’re doing.
The next line he writes literally means, who has fascinated you by false representations? It’s obvious from the way he writes that these believers were not being convinced by the truth, but rather a clever counterfeit. Paul reminds them of the fact that they first believed Jesus Christ was crucified for them.
He then asks a simple question – how did you receive the Spirit? The implied answer is that the Spirit was received by faith, trusting in God to do the work.
Paul was re-emphasizing to them that the law can’t save anyone. The law only condemns. Paul, however, continues along this line with another question and we have all but ignored its implications.
Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Galatians 3:5
What most people don’t realize is that the word translated miracles in the New Testament is the Greek word dunamis – POWER. Usually it is just the context that the translators use to decide whether to use miracle or power as the English word.
The question Paul asks is fundamental to our understanding of the power of God. How does God give His Spirit and work power in the church? Obviously, the answer is by faith.
Question: Why does following the law never lead to the power of God?
© Nick Zaccardi
Tags: Azuza street, book of Acts, church, dunamis, faith, healings, Holy Spirit, law, law and the power of God, legalism, legalistic, miracles, power, power of God, power of the spirit, powerless church, signs, Spirit of God, truth, wonders
We live in a society where we have all but given up on understanding. In many schools we’re taught how we need to think. Don’t ask why, just agree.
We now have a generation of people who voice opinions, but don’t know why they have them. The media is constantly telling us what we need to wear, listen to, and watch. After all, “This is what everybody thinks.”
Scripture gives us a different perspective.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7
As believers, we are told to seek wisdom and understanding. We don’t just blindly follow the crowd. There is a reason we are on the earth and it’s our job to find out why.
God has a plan for everyone’s life. We’re not just random. Life has meaning. The problem is that most people are afraid to find out the meaning of life. They would rather just “go with the flow.”
The issue is that wisdom and understanding will cost you something. They bring responsibility with them and that’s what we’re really afraid of.
If we don’t understand, then we are not responsible for what we do. That’s the key. Understanding and the resulting responsibility requires self-control.
That’s the reason that many people choose atheism. If there is a God, then I’m responsible to live under that understanding. My actions will have to be controlled.
But there’s even more to it than that.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
2 Timothy 2:7
Paul literally tells Timothy to apply your mind to understand. Understanding takes initiative – it doesn’t just fall out of the sky.
The good news is that if we take this first step, then the Lord will give you the next level of understanding. The word insight that Paul uses is the Greek word suneisis. It means to put together.
The fact is that understanding puts truth together. We have to do this with many truths if we are to live a fulfilled life.
For instance – there is a God, He will judge the world, and I will live forever someplace. These are all truths that are important all by themselves. But when I put them together by wisdom and understanding they take on a whole new level of importance. Now my choices are more limited than when I thought there were no consequences.
That’s why understanding is the foundation of coming to Christ. We have to put together our need and His provision. Then I have to bring my actions – and faith – into line with my understanding.
Question: Do you actively seek wisdom and understanding from the Lord?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: atheism, atheist, choosing to understand, Christ, coming to Christ, following the crowd, God's plan, Jesus, meaning of life, media, opinions, purpose, put together, responsibility, self-control, thinking, truth, understanding, wisdom
Even though the church talks a lot about the Word of God, I wonder sometimes just how mature we really are. At one point the writer of the Book of Hebrews rebukes his listeners for their lack of maturity.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:12-14
In order to become mature, we must learn the elementary truths of God’s Word. Then when we’re mature, we are able to discern the good from the evil. This is especially needed when someone supports their evil with a verse of Scripture.
People try to push the dumbest things, all in the name of God’s Word. I believe these days of such foolishness are coming to an end. I believe that God is bringing His people to a new level of maturity in the Holy Spirit.
As we mature, we will be able to discern whether something is of God, or just a clever deception. That’s one of the reasons I’m posting this blog. So that the Lord’s people can live for God unashamed and correctly handling the Word of Truth.
In Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the wilderness, He made the following statement.
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4
Here is why maturity in the Word is so important – The Word is our Life. Jesus said that food was not enough for man to live on. If someone truly wants the abundant life, then he needs to grasp the Word of God.
Paul understood this truth as he ministered to his people. He wrote to them about how to live as examples to the world.
…as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
Philippians 2:16
This is such an important aspect that God’s Word is even called the Word of Life. That’s why Jesus – the Word made flesh – could say that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Word of God brings life. The Word of God is life. This is a very important point for us to understand.
Question: In what ways have you experienced the abundant life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: becoming mature in the word, Christ, discern, elementary truths, evil, God's word, good, Holy Spirit, Jesus, life, mature, maturity, truth, way, word, word of God, word of life
We live in an age where people are using the Bible to support what they’re doing or teaching. How do I know if I’m truly hearing God’s Word? Just because someone quotes the Scripture – is it really God’s Word they’re proclaiming?
In my last post we saw that Jesus didn’t accept the scriptural declaration of the devil. He knew that the enemy was not speaking God’s Word to Him.
Here is a surprising fact you may not know. Throughout the entire Bible, the Scripture never calls itself the Word of God. That’s something we have done.
At this point you’re probably ready to stone me as a heretic. Please wait. I’m not saying that the Bible is not the Word of God. All I’m saying is that the Bible doesn’t call itself the Word of God.
There is an important reason for that, which Christ Himself will testify to. You need to let His words speak to you to understand the true nature of Scripture and the Word of God.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
John 17:17
Jesus is very clear in this passage. God’s Word is not just truthful. It doesn’t only contain truth. It is, by its very nature, TRUTH.
What about Christ the Living Word? Didn’t He say, “I am the Way, THE TRUTH, and the Life.”? There’s no getting around it – God’s Word is truth.
It’s unfortunate, but people can take the words of Scripture and twist them around for their own ends. That’s why we need a daily walk with the Holy Spirit. There’s a reason He’s called the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of God gives us the discernment we need when reading or hearing the Scripture.
Christ needed to discern the “word” He heard from the devil. He was mature enough to see that even though Satan was quoting Scripture, his intent was evil. In that case, the verse that the devil spoke was not the Word of God to Jesus.
We’re running into the same type of problems in the church today. It grieves me that there are ministers whose only reason for studying the Bible, is to find passages that will convince you to put your money into their wallets. They’ll tell you, based upon a Bible verse, that you will be blessed if you send them an offering of your month’s salary.
They’ll tell you that it’s God’s Word to you that if you’ll send them the money, then you’ll be out of debt and in a new house by the end of the year. Of course, when it doesn’t come to pass you’ll blame God. “I stood on God’s Word and He failed to keep it.”
Unfortunately, it was not God’s Word that failed. What happened was that some preacher’s faulty use of the Scripture failed. Then again, it got him the money he wanted, so it didn’t fail to bring in what he was after – your money.
Question: Have you ever seen the Scripture used to promote a lie?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, devil, discern, discernment, enemy, God's word, Holy Spirit, Jesus, mature, Satan, Scripture, Scripture truth word of God, Spirit of God, Spirit of truth, truth, walk in the Spirit, walk with the Spirit, word of God
In my last post I talked about the lies of the devil. We saw that, according to Jesus, the enemy cannot hold the truth neither is there any truth in him at all.
Understanding this gives us insight into how the devil operates. He speaks lies, sometimes by making true statements. We need to understand this as we look at an encounter between Christ and the devil.
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Matthew 4:5-6
This verse is important in understanding the relationship between the Bible and the Word of God. Here we see the devil quoting the Bible correctly. He even used it in context. The verse is from Psalm 91 which we all know is about the protection of God for the Messiah and us.
Now, it’s time for the tough question. In quoting the Bible, was Satan speaking the Word of God to Jesus? Be very careful how you answer this. It’s the basis for understanding how the Word of God works in us.
Jesus clearly taught that Satan could not hold the truth neither was there any truth in him at all, yet it is clear that he has the Bible memorized. We know that the devil only quotes the Scripture when it suits his purpose to try and deceive us. His use of Scripture is actually a lie – according to Christ Himself.
As I said previously, we get so caught up asking the wrong questions. We should be asking, what exactly is the Word of God to me? I need a Word from heaven. How do I know what that Word is? When Jesus heard the Scripture from the mouth of Satan, He totally rejected it as a lie meant to trip Him up in His walk with the Father.
Then what is the Scripture? It is the written record of the Word of God, given to various people, at different times, under different circumstances and for many purposes. I have to ask, is what I’m reading God’s Word to me? The answer to that is both yes and no.
There are some scriptures that have nothing to do with me or what I’m going through. There are others that the Holy Spirit can use to speak to me. That’s the key. What is the Holy Spirit saying to me? Very often He will use Scripture to speak to believers.
But you must also understand that Satan will use Scripture as well. That’s why it’s so very important that we learn to discern the voice of the Spirit. The Bible is a spiritual book and must be read prayerfully.
Question: How has God spoken to you through the pages of Scripture?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, devil, devil and the word of God, discerning, Holy Spirit, Jesus, lie, lies, Satan, Scripture, Spirit of truth, temptation, truth, understanding, word, word of God, word of truth
The Word of God is Truth. Do we really understand how absolute this truth is?
The opposite of truth is lie. Being able to recognize the lie is an important part of serving God.
Christ could see through the lies of the enemy and did so on many occasions. Once, when upset by the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus said the following.
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44
Here Jesus clearly teaches about the devil and his relationship to the truth. Is there a little bit of truth in the devil? Absolutely not! “He does not hold to the truth, for there is no truth in him.”
While studying this, I was convicted and had to repent of some things that I never thought of as sin. Satan makes true statements from time to time if it suits his purposes. But, according to this verse, saying true statements and speaking the truth are two different things in the Lord’s eyes.
The above passage implies that if you make a true statement, in order to get someone to believe a lie, then you are in fact lying. That’s what got to me.
For instance, if I was heading out of the house on an errand, my wife might say to me, “Honey, there are some important bills that need to be mailed.”
Being the wonderful husband that I am, I would tell her that I’d be glad to do it. So, with the best of intentions, I take the letters. I go through the day and complete my errands without ever giving the letters a second thought.
Then when I arrive home, the first thing my wife asks is, “Did you mail my letters for me?”
Not wanting to get in trouble I reply, “Oh, I took those with me first thing this morning.” My hope is that my true statement would lead her to believe that I had mailed the letters, when in fact I hadn’t. I always thought I was speaking truth – at least in part.
According to Jesus, this isn’t the case. The devil uses true statements to get us to believe lies. Jesus said that he cannot hold the truth and there is NO truth in him. So that when Satan speaks it’s a lie, even if his statement happens to be true at the moment. Because of this, I had to repent of all the true statements I’ve made, trying to cover my tracks.
Of course my wife can usually see through it and immediately says, “I didn’t ask if you took the letters, I asked if you had mailed the letters.” So, in most cases, I was caught anyway. But the fact is that making true statements with the intent to deceive is the same as telling a lie.
Question: Have you ever experienced this type of lie?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: absolute truth, deception, enemy, father of lies, lie, recognizing truth and lie, Satan, the devil, true statements, truth, word of God, word of truth
I want to talk about the very foundation of the Word of God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:1-2
Whenever you talk about the Word of God you must start with Christ. Notice that in this verse the Word is a He. God and His Word are one and the same. When the Bible speaks about the Word of God, it’s talking about God’s revelation of Himself.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Christ is the Word made flesh. He was the Word throughout eternity past. He will be the Word for all of the eternity that lies before us. This is the foundation of all we know about the Word of God.
By looking at Christ we see the total embodiment of what the Word of God is and does in our lives. It’s through His life and words that we can truly understand how the Word applies to us.
You would think that because of this truth, there would be no question as to what the Word of God is in our life and walk. I wish that were the case. The fact is that there’s much controversy surrounding exactly what the Word of God is.
Please read my posts carefully, and prayerfully. It’s my hope to cut through some of the problems created by our present use of “Christianese” – the religious language we have grown used to in the church.
This language is not always in line with Scripture. It’s my prayer that you will see a difference between how we describe certain truths and how the Bible describes them. I also pray that when you see this difference, you’ll choose the Biblical definition.
It’s because of our use of this religious language that we get into many arguments. One of these is over what the Word of God is.
There are some who insist that only the King James Version of the Bible is the Word of God. There are others who say that any translation is the Word. Who is right?
Actually, according to Scripture, the above argument is not even asking the right question! Let’s allow Christ, the Living Word, to be the Judge in this situation.
Over the next few posts I hope to clarify some things that are causing tremendous problems in the Body of Christ. I want to see God’s people get back to where we should be in our handling of the Word.
Question: How does Christ continue to reveal Himself as the Living Word of God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christianese, eternal, eternity, God, grace, living word, religious language, revelation, Scripture, truth, word, word made flesh, word of God, word of God who not what
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 Spirit and the Word 