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Singing Together

02 Feb
Singing Together

As we’ve been going through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church, we see that he’s talking about our spiritual relationships. The Apostle is exhorting us to be led by the Holy Spirit in our dealings with each other.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16 NIV

As we allow the Spirit to engraft God’s Word in us, it begins to overflow and brings glory to God in our meetings. Singing is one of the greatest ways to praise the Lord. It shows our gratefulness to Him.

There are two main ways that we can focus our singing. The first is probably the most obvious.

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

Psalms 96:1-2 NIV

Our music can be directed toward God in the praise of His glory. This is an important part of our relationship with the Lord. Singing His praises transports us into His presence.

I get so upset when believers view the praise and worship time as merely the “warm-up act” for the pastor’s preaching. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we sing praise and thanksgiving to God, we’re brought into a deeper spiritual place. We become more open to the move of the Holy Spirit.

Praising God in song is an important part of a spiritual walk.

The second aim of music may surprise some of you.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…

Ephesians 5:19 NIV

Our music can be directed toward each other. There are many people (and I used to be one of them) that dislike the use of songs that are not directed toward God. This verse clearly shows the necessity of both types of music.

There are times when we need to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another. Why is that so important? Look back at the verse we started with.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16 NIV

It’s through music that the Word of Christ can live richly in you. Singing music that’s directed at each other is a form of teaching and admonishing. As we sing, we learn.

This is an incredible truth. When my children were small, they learned all the states and their capitals because they were put to music. How much more important is it to get the Word into our hearts?

Through music, the Word of Christ can enter our lives and stay with us. That’s why I’m so adamant about not singing songs that contain bad doctrine. Too many Christians believe error because they learned it in their music.

We give praise to our God. We teach and admonish each other. Both of these can and should be done through the music of God’s people.

Question: Is there a song that opened up your eyes to a spiritual truth?

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2024 in Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church, Word of God, Worship

 

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Worshiping as One

13 Dec
Worshiping as One

We’re continuing to go through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He has given them some important instructions. Now he makes a statement that we need to understand.

In the past I’ve talked about true worship. The ability to worship Christ is one of the greatest gifts that we’ve been given. It takes place when we enter God’s presence. It doesn’t matter where we are on earth; it’s our position in the spirit that counts.

For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Colossians 2:5 NIV

We find that it’s through worship that the body of Christ is brought into unity. That’s why Scripture calls it the unity of the spirit. When we pray in the spirit, we’re united with the Holy Spirit. Of course, if we’re united with God’s Spirit, then we are also united with each other.

The writer of the book of Hebrews saw this very clearly.

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect…
Hebrews 12:22-23 NIV

When we begin to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, it’s like we’re being transported before His throne. As we enter into worship, we find that we’re a part of two groups.

First, we’re a part of the church of Jesus Christ on the earth. That’s what Paul was talking about when he told the church he was present with them in spirit.

But there’s another group that I find myself with when I worship. According to the above verse, I’m with the spirits of righteous men made perfect. I believe that it’s talking about those who have passed on and are now in the Lord’s presence.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1 NIV

We are worshiping with the saints on earth and in heaven.

Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
Revelation 4:4 NIV

When I come before God’s throne to worship Him, I’m together with believers from both the Old and New Testaments. It’s a mind-blowing thought – that I can enter the universal chorus of worship that surrounds the Lord’s throne.

Some people are just waiting for the day when they can be a part of this heavenly worship. Little do they know that they can enter it right now, wherever they are.

Take advantage of this great gift. Enter the Lord’s presence in spirit and truth. Allow yourself to be caught up in the unity that only comes from being with Him.

Question: How often do you set aside to worship Christ in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2023 in Encouragement, Fellowship, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk, The Church, Worship

 

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Your Thought Life 1

25 Oct
Your Thought Life 1

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, the apostle is giving some final exhortations before closing. He now deals with our thought-life.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 NIV

This is one of the most important areas of your life. It will either make or break you. It’s always interesting to see what people do with their “down time”. I’m talking about the time during the day that you’re not having to concentrate on what you’re doing.

This is the time that you’re getting dressed, driving to work, or doing other things that don’t require a lot of thought. These are times where you have nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company. Using the time wisely can be very challenging.

Of course, with many people, this time is filled by their radio or smart phone. The last thing this society wants, is to think too deeply. Like it or not, we need to take the time to think about important issues.

It has become abundantly clear to me, through the Word of God and my own experience, that what you meditate on during these times will ultimately shape your character. If you are to achieve the maximum benefit from this, then you need to focus on what is spiritual – the Word of God, God’s calling on your life, and songs of praise and worship.

As these thoughts start to fill your mind, a change starts to take place in your heart. You start to be drawn upward to God. This idle time will now become a time of spiritual growth, renewal, and refreshing.

Take the opportunity today to turn off the external “noise”. Begin to steer your thoughts toward the things of the Lord. Discover the power you need for living as you fill your heart with the only thoughts that can bring lasting change to your life.

I want to take a couple of posts to talk about these “thought lines” that Paul tells us to dwell on. It’s a very important part of our Christian walk.

He first mentions things that are true. This doesn’t simply mean true things, such as one plus one equals two. The word Paul uses means things that are not hidden. That’s important.

There are times when I’m reading the Scripture, when suddenly it opens up to me. The Holy Spirit shows me something I’ve never seen before. It was always there, but before now, it was hidden to me.

That’s what Paul’s talking about when he tells us to think on these things. Think deeply about the things from God’s Word that He has personally revealed to you. The Lord has a reason that He shows you these things. It’s up to you to find out why.

Next, he tells us to think about things that are noble. That’s a word that not many people use anymore. The Greek word comes from a root that means devout or religious. It’s speaking of something that’s worshipful.

We need to be thinking on things that cause us to worship God. No, I’m not talking about praise. We praise God for things He has done. We worship God for who He is.

We need to be dwelling on who God is. Who is God to you? How has He revealed Himself in Scripture? Healer, Creator, Redeemer, Provider. He is all these things and more. These thoughts bring us into a place of worship. That’s the place of power in the spirit.

Then Paul tells us to think on things that are right. This actually means to think about things that are just. Our problem is that we think about things in terms of fair. Just is very different. One thing you have to realize is that God is not fair – and I’m so grateful for that.

Fair would mean that I paid for my own sin. It was supremely unfair for Christ to take my sin upon Himself and go to the cross. But, justice, was satisfied by what He did. God is not fair, but He is just.

That’s what we need to be thinking on. The justice of God should motivate us to tell others about what Christ has done. Forgiveness is available for all who ask.

In my next post, I’ll continue with this.

Question: How do these things affect your thought life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 25, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Place of Peace

23 Oct
The Place of Peace

We’re now going through the last chapter of Philippians. Paul is wrapping up his exhortations to that church.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 NIV

That’s some command. Don’t be anxious about anything. If the church ever needed to hear that, it’s this generation. There are more things to be anxious about than ever before. How do we find that place of peace, where anxiety is unable to touch us? Praise God for His Word!

The word prayer in this verse literally means to draw near. When anxiety, worry, and confusion try to stir us up; there’s only one remedy. We must take the time to draw near to God.

As we draw near to God in worship, it’s like we’re being transported around His throne. That’s a wonderful place to be. That’s why we should all be worshipers. Look at where the Spirit brings us to.

Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
Revelation 4:6 NIV

In the book of Revelation and throughout the Bible, the symbolism of the sea speaks of nations. These are the saints of all nationalities worshiping Christ before His throne. But this sea is as calm as glass.

That’s because the place of worship is a place of peace. James talked about the negative reality of this truth.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:6 NIV

Doubt and unbelief puts us in a troubled sea of confusion. That’s not God’s will for us. The Lord wants to calm our sea. How does that happen? It only takes place as we spend time worshiping in God’s presence.

We take quality time with the Lord. Paul says that it may involve prayer, petition, and/or thanksgiving. It’s when we spend this time in Him that the anxiety falls away.

The next verse in Philippians tells us that the results are supernatural.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 NIV

This peace is ABOVE your understanding. When we come near to God in worship the things that should be causing anxiety melt away in God’s presence. I’m reminded of a chorus we used to sing many years ago.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full on His wonderful face,
And the things on earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

That’s the place of worship. But we have to set aside the time for this. That’s usually our problem. We have plenty of time to wallow in confusion and doubt. But the very thing that will calm the storm just doesn’t fit into our schedule.

We need to get our priorities straight. I find that I’m much more productive when I’m operating in the peace of God. I think you will too.

Draw near to God with the things you’re anxious about. Let the place of worship bring peace to your storm.

Question: How has the Holy Spirit brought peace into your life in the past?

©2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 23, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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The True Spirit of Worship

02 Oct
The True Spirit of Worship

In my last post, we began looking at Philippians, chapter 3. Paul is writing about true worship. A lot of people are going to churches to “worship” today. How much of it is truly worship? What is worship? Here’s what we looked at last time.

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

Philippians 3:3-4 NIV

The question we need to answer is; do we really put no confidence in our flesh? Especially when it comes to our relationship with God, many believers are driven by their flesh. Paul knew that this was something to watch out for.

He saw the temptation in his own life.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Philippians 3:4-6 NIV

He had the lineage and training to be at the pinnacle of spirituality…if that was what God looked at. However, it’s about our heart, what’s under the surface.

We’re proud of our trained voices and our professional sound. We want to be moved emotionally by our corporate experiences.

Please understand me. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of those things – if you’re talking about praise. But here, Paul is talking about true, scriptural worship.

In worship, we put no confidence in our praise, our singing, how long we practiced or even our obedience. The only confidence we have is in Him. That’s why most of what we do in church is actually praise.

Praise can be done loudly and in a group. As a matter of fact, the bigger the group, the more stirring the praise – usually.

Worship is different. It’s intimate. It’s personal – one on one, just me and God. Even if I’m with a crowd of believers, I have to zone them all out and just focus in on the Lord.

This is the essence of worship. Not clapping, shouting, preaching or praying. It’s simply standing in the presence of a holy God and acknowledging who He is. Most of the time worship is done in silence.

Praise is public and exciting. Worship is one on one with the God of the universe. It is where I humble myself before Him and offer Him the glory that is due Him. The Greek word used for worship in the New Testament literally means to lean forward like you do when you are about to kiss someone.

It’s a time of intimacy with God. Worship is coming into the presence of God, and meeting with Him spirit to Spirit. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo, Sunday morning experience. Press into that intimate place with God. Truly enter the spirit of worship and let your inner man find the fulfillment you were created for.

The easiest way to do this is to begin praying in the spirit. That’s how our relationship with God is built, spirit to Spirit. It’s time for God’s people to stir up the spirit of worship within them. Let’s stop calling everything we do in church “worship”. It’s time to simply bask in the presence of a holy God and spend some quality, intimate time with Him.

Question: How often do you worship God in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2023 in Music, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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Spiritual Intimacy

27 Sep
Spiritual Intimacy

We’re continuing our walk through the letter to the Philippians. As we start chapter 3, Paul begins to talk about our spiritual walk with the Lord. There are those who only look at our outward existence.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh…

Philippians 3:1-3 NIV

In this section, Paul is talking about those who were trying to place Old Testament rules on Gentile believers. It’s about the overcoming church that he writes, “It is we who worship God in spirit.” We are the ones who boast only in Christ. True Christianity places no confidence in flesh.

The Scripture is clear that flesh and blood cannot worship at the level of the spirit. The Biblical picture always shows that in worship, our flesh must be prostrate and silent. That’s why we read things like, “I fell at His feet like a dead man.”

This means that my hands cannot worship God. Neither can my mouth, my feet or my entire body.

Worship can only be an act of my spirit. So, if I don’t understand how my spirit operates, then I really can’t understand true worship.

Let’s start with the basics. God created us all in His image. He is a three-part being – Father, Son, and Spirit. God created us with the same three parts. We have a body, a soul, and a spirit.

Our soul is who we are. It’s the seat of our mind, memories, personality, and emotions. My soul is the real me. When I want to talk to you, it’s not your body I want to talk to, but your soul – the person inside the body.

Your soul is housed in a thing called your flesh or your body. This is the part of your being that allows your soul to interact and communicate in the physical, natural realm. It’s the part of you that can taste, smell, touch, hear, and see.

Unfortunately, this is the part of your being that’s marred by sin. Because Adam chose the path of rebellion, the flesh now desires to be first place in your life. This is what causes most of our trouble.

The third part of our being is our spirit. This is the part of us that allows our soul to interact and communicate in the spiritual realm. This is the dimension where God, angels and demons usually dwell. It’s with your spirit that God desires to have fellowship with you on His level.

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

Revelation 4:2 NIV

This is the Apostle John describing what took place just as the Lord was about to show him the Revelation he recorded in the Scripture. He went out of way to let us know that he was not just eating breakfast or reading the newspaper. He was in the spirit.

It sounds like this is a special place. Of course, that’s only logical. Even in our natural lives intimacy with another person requires a special time and place. A man could not be intimate with his wife in the stands at a hockey game.

In the same way, intimacy with God requires a special time and place – that’s being in the spirit. When Jesus talked with the woman at the well, He explained it to her this way…

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:24 NIV

That’s the underlying truth – God is spirit. This word, worship, speaks of intimate relationship. How do you have intimacy with a spirit? There’s only one level of interaction, and that’s in the spirit.

That’s why daily prayer in the spirit is so important. It’s the vehicle by which we have intimacy with the Father.

Question: How intimate is your walk with the Lord?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2023 in Legalism, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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Spiritual Music

07 Jun
Spiritual Music

We’re continuing through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. He’s been dealing with how we should interact with one another. He talked a lot about the “don’ts”. But there’s an important “do” that affects our attitudes.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:18b-20 NIV

It’s better to be around people who have good attitudes. I’d rather be with people who are singing than with those who are complaining. The church should be a place that’s filled with music and singing.

Did you know that the Bible speaks about how we should aim our singing? That’s what determines our attitudes. There are two goals we should direct our music toward.

Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Psalms 96:1-2 NIV

The first goal in our music should be pretty obvious.

Our music can be directed toward God in the praise of His glory. This is an important part of our relationship with the Lord. Singing His praises transports us into His presence.

I get so upset when believers view the praise and worship time as merely the “warm-up act” for the pastor’s preaching. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As we sing praise and thanksgiving to God, we’re brought into a deeper spiritual place. We become more open to the move of the Holy Spirit.

Praising God in song is an important part of a spiritual walk.

The second aim of music may surprise some of you. It’s what Paul talked about in the above verse.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…

Ephesians 5:19 NIV

This aspect of our music can change the hearts of those around us.

Our music can be directed toward each other. There are many people (and I used to be one of them) that dislike the use of songs that are not directed toward God. This verse clearly shows the necessity of both types of music.

There are times when we need to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another. Why is that so important?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16 NIV

It’s through music that the Word of Christ can live richly in you. Singing music that’s directed at each other is a form of teaching and admonishing. As we sing, we learn.

This is an incredible truth. When my children were small, they learned all the states and their capitals because they were put to music. How much more important is it to get the Word into our hearts?

Through music, the Word of Christ can enter our lives and stay with us. That’s why I’m so adamant about not singing songs that contain bad doctrine. Too many Christians believe error because they learned it in their music.

We give praise to our God. We teach and admonish each other. Both of these can and should be done through the music of God’s people.

Question: Is there a song that opened up your eyes to a spiritual truth?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 7, 2023 in Encouragement, Music, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Strength for the Journey

05 Apr
Strength for the Journey

We’re continuing our study through the book of Ephesians. Paul is writing to us about the riches we share as the body of Christ on earth.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Ephesians 3:14-15 NIV

Paul now gives us some insight into his prayer life. He’s constantly in prayer for the churches and people who have come to the Lord under his ministry. It was a great burden on his heart.

It’s important for us to see where this intercession starts. He doesn’t go right into the petitioning for God to bless these people. He starts out by kneeling before the Father.

That’s an important fact that we sometimes miss. Throughout the Bible, whenever worship is described, there are certain common elements. One of them is kneeling.

Whenever a body position is described, a worshiper is always kneeling down. Many times, they have their face to the ground. Most Christians don’t realize that this is the normal position for worship.

Because we call the songs before a service “praise and worship”, we think fast songs are praise and slow songs are worship. That’s an American church thing. It’s not the Scriptural definitions.

In reality, praise involves the body. It’s about what God has done. It could be music and singing, clapping, dancing, or loud declarations of thanks to God. Worship is very different.

Worship is about who God is. It’s an act of our spirit (John 4:23-24) with no body involvement. True worship is usually silent. It happens infrequently when a “holy hush” comes over the congregation. Most of the time we get uncomfortable and start to fidget, hoping the service will continue quickly.

Paul makes it clear that his prayer time starts with worship. He begins by quieting his heart before the Lord God. Only after his time of worship does he begin to lift up God’s people.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:16-17a NIV

Paul wants to see the church walking in the power of God. That’s how we can fully operate in the spiritual life God has for us. But, it’s important to note that this takes place through our spirits.

Again, it has a lot to do with our worship of God. We need to spend time praying in the spirit to see the power of God increasing in our lives.

The word, strengthen, in the above verse is not a one-time thing. That word implies an ongoing strengthening. We need to become spiritually stronger day by day. It’s a lot like becoming strong in the natural. I had to learn that lesson.

Now that we’re in the Spring season, my mind starts to think about hiking. Those who have read this blog for a long time will know that I love to get out and walk the Appalachian Trail. In order to be ready, I’ve been out walking whenever I can. I want to strengthen those lazy winter muscles.

Strength is a necessary part of the outdoors experience. When my wife and I started to add children to our family we stopped hiking because of the limited time we had. Since I’ve started back up again, I’ve lost 30 pounds. (Pounds that I had “found” up till that time!)

I can tell you by experience that out of shape people cannot enjoy hiking as fully as those used to the rigors of trail life. I remember well the pain in my legs and back when I first started. I had to stop every few feet while going uphill, just to breathe. Thank God, I’m starting to get in shape again!

More important than physical condition, however, is the shape of your inner being. The spiritual trail we’re on is far tougher than any wilderness trail. God wants to strengthen you for that journey.

It is going to take quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. That’s why prayer in the spirit is so beneficial. It builds you up internally. To do this you must free yourself from distractions so that you can concentrate on Christ.

As I’ve been saying, that’s what worship is all about. Spend time before Him just drinking in His Spirit. Take the time necessary so that your inner man is ready for the road ahead, no matter how rough the path.

Question: How strong is your inner man?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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A Son Coming Home

24 Oct
A Son Coming Home

In my last post I talked about Zacchaeus from Luke chapter 19. In looking at this encounter, I talked about the Biblical principle of Sonship. Jesus had just called him down from the tree and told him that He was coming to Zacchaeus’ home.

Zacchaeus had no idea what was about to happen.

So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
Luke 19:6-7 NIV

These two verses show us, in a tangible way, the difference between using the power of the law and the power of the Spirit. The law is always trying to block your way. It says that you must get yourself ready before you can abide with Christ. The religious people thought that there was no way that Christ should enter Zacchaeus’ home.

I’m writing this so that you’ll know for a certainty that it doesn’t matter how you start out. Your problems, failings and lack of commitment are all things of the past. You can start fresh by abiding with Christ today.

The time to run to the Lord is before you try to fix yourself up. It’s only as you remain in His presence that you receive the power for changing your life.

Look at what happened to Zacchaeus.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Luke 19:8-10 NIV

Salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house. We usually misunderstand what salvation is all about. If you can grasp its total impact in Scripture, salvation actually includes all of God’s life changing and restoring power. It was this power that was manifest in Zacchaeus’ life that day. His love of money dissipated in the light of the Spirit’s love.

But, more importantly, Jesus said that he, too, is a son. He may have gone his own way for a while, but Zacchaeus was loved by the Father. The Lord was clear that He came seeking Zacchaeus.

It’s an interesting perspective because Zacchaeus thought that he was seeking Christ. It’s just like our spiritual worship.

Scripturally, the word, worship, means to bend forward as if to kiss. If we will bend forward to kiss the Lord, then He will bend forward to kiss us.

The greatest ministry of Christ was that He came to seek and save that which was ruined. Right now the body of Christ in America is full of ruined sons and daughters. It’s time to seek the Lord.

What we’ll find is that in our seeking of Him it’s actually the Lord who’s seeking us. It’s time for us as believers not get saved, but to BE SAVED. We need to rise up to our rightful place and position of Sonship.

This can only happen as we see the importance of our relationship with the Father. This means that we understand how to relate as sons and daughters to our heavenly Father.

Question: How does Sonship change your view of who you are as a believer?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2022 in Encouragement, Faith, Revival, Sonship, Worship

 

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Thankful People

21 Sep
Thankful People

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. Now, we see Jesus traveling throughout Israel. He’s preaching the Word and doing God’s will. As the Lord is walking along, some men with leprosy approach Him.

You may want to read Luke 17:11-19 before going on with this post. This section of Scripture gives us some insights into what it means to be thankful. It should cause you to stop and think; how thankful am I for all that God has done?

In this portion of Scripture, a group of lepers went to Jesus for healing. In these verses, we see everything needed for obtaining the blessing of God. There’s faith, obedience, and expectancy. Jesus’ response to them is simple.

He told them to go and show themselves to the priests. There was no special religious display. The Lord didn’t touch them or even pray over them. He simply gave them a task to complete. As they obeyed His command, they found they were healed along the way.

One former leper had a great response.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
Luke 17:15

The first thing he does is to come back to Jesus, yelling praises on the top of his lungs. The literal Greek uses the words mega-phone. This was not a quiet thankfulness of the heart. He must have attracted a lot of attention, but he didn’t care. He wanted to praise God for what happened to him. That’s the first thing we see…

Thankful people live loud for the Lord. We must learn to have a lifestyle of praise. It’s time that God’s people come “out of the closet” with their thankfulness.

That’s because this is a normal response to the hand of God at work. It doesn’t mean that you have to yell all the time. But I am saying that God’s work should be abundantly evident in your life. But there was more…

He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.
Luke 17:16

Next thing we see is this man throwing himself at Jesus’ feet. This is the position of worship.

Thankful people live a life of worship. Because we’re thankful – we worship. Worship acknowledges God for who He is. We’re simply grateful because He allows us to come before Him anytime we want, clothed in His righteousness.

But that verse also said that he thanked Jesus.

…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

Are we to thank God for everything? The actual Greek says over everything. I need to thank God over everything I receive. (I don’t receive sickness, etc.)

Thankful people thank God over everything. We know the source of life and blessing. Of all people, we should be the ones who are constantly thanking God for the good things we see in our lives.

But there’s one more aspect of thankfulness that we need to look at. It comes from Jesus’ reaction to the healed man.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Luke 17:17-18

This question gives us insight into the heart of God. We all want to be loved and appreciated. Where do you think that comes from? I’ll tell you – we were created in the image of God.

Thankful people are sought out by God. Thank offerings were not required by the Law of Moses. God wanted the hearts of the people to prompt them to be thankful. When we’re thankful, it opens the door for a richer walk with the Lord. We need to take the time to be truly thankful before God.

Questions: What are you thankful to God for? Are you willing to let people know about it?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2022 in Encouragement, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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