Today’s Daily bread comes from Colossians 3:2

Where is your mental State?

“Set your mind on things above, not things on the earth”

As we come to today’s edition of the Daily Bread, i am reminded of possible my favorite movie of all time the movie Gladiator. this of course is a fictional movie based on actual characteristics of the former roman empire, but the direction and acting in this movie was impeccable and the writing was superb. You might be wondering,..wait a sec, have i gone off the deep end, i could have sworn i just landed at Zionreborn.com, why then am i reading about some 6 year old movie? Before you send me to the gallows thinking that i have lost my mind, i submit to you this piece of dialog from the movie. In an attempt to muster the courage of his men in battle, general Maximus utters these words;

“What we do in life, echoes in eternity”

If i could ever think of a line that embodied such fundamental, institutional and divine truth, it would be this. As Christians we have to remember we live in this world until we are called home. So why not take the word of the Lord and apply it practically to this life. That’s what its about, its taking the word of God and the application there of! The Line from this movie is just one example of the Application of Colossians 3:2 in we as everyday people in which life does not flow a picturesque Hollywood movie must make sure that we are setting our minds and hearts on Heavenly places, and not on the things of this world. Because when you think about it things in this world are not safe, and they will eventually just fail us. So why not try what the bible asks; “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal”
Matthew 6:20

Faith without Works is Dead
How so? I’m glad you asked. What i mean is this; how true is it that as Christians the things we do in life affect our place where we spend eternity. It is so important that we do the things that are right and do the things that just, because it is directly tied in to how we spend eternity. I submit to you the word of God that says “Faith Without works, is dead”. So what we do also affects not only where we spend eternity, but also the strength and wealth of our faith(check back tomorrow for our special on faith)

Remember God is no respecter of persons, and he will use, anyone and anything to get his message across to whom he will. You could be at a bus terminal and a car rides by and splashes mud all over you new white couture outfit and you have an epiphany. It may be a line from a movie. The point is, seek the Lord! He is all around you, just when you think he is not watching or God is not listening you will receive a word for the Lord. Just keep your eyes peeled and you ears ready. You never know who, what, when, where or how God will slip in a message for you, right on time

Slow Down, and Live this Life!

“…his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his Law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth for fruit in his season; his leaf also will not wither and whatsoever he does shall prosper” Psalm 1:2-3

Slow down and Smell the roses! (Photo Credit twistiti)

The Word of God above suggests that in order to do the things that are suggested in that passage, you have to slow the pace of this life down! This Psalm has no hint of someone who is living at a frenzied pace, instead this is alluding to someone who has slowed down and is enjoying God’s blessing.

Have we ever slowed down to think, how many new years resolutions have come and gone? Have the years been kind, or have they left us battered? Its been suggested that each year as we make unattainable resolutions which we seldom keep, it actually is an antagonist to slowing the pace of life! We often make these promises to our selves and begin to frantically make them happen. This in turn quickens the pace at which we live, and narrow becomes the gap of reason which our mind perceives we need to be successful in reaching our new year’s resolution. So our mind tells us we need to speed up in order to not miss our window of success. Instead why not focus on more attainable goals, and build up the fortitude to and spiritual strength to tackle those powerhouses.

Slow down the pace, then take on the big challenges

A perfect example of this is when we say to ourselves, “i need to lose 40 pounds in 40 days”. Your logical mind is saying..”Really?”. We set goals like these everyday, and every year, because we are convinced we will receive microwave results! Instead why not say ” i resolved i will be healthier this year than last year” And you will be surprised how much weight you will lose in the process of becoming healthier!(tune in New years day for a full article about new years resolutions)

The above is an example of where we can apply the word of the day Psalm 1:2-3
especially when it says “…and whatsoever he does shall prosper” this includes new years resolutions and everything in between. Make sure that in the search to for more productivity and efficiency we tend to over schedule our days and rush instead of actually living the life which was and is so graciously afforded us! In doing so we ensure God’s blessing on our lives when we make time for his word and work.

So we encourage you today to slow down and live this life, don’t let it live you! Remember the bible reminds us that “life is but a vapor!” James 4:14. Allow God to work in you so that he can work through you.

Today’s word:
“You…have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy and faith” Matthew 23:23

“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God, in order to observe your own traditions”
Mark 7:9

How many times have we, tried to use God’s word just for our benefit, and not for the benefit of the spirit and for the glory of God? How about those times which we chose to observe man made traditions instead of what the word actually says? Lets ask ourselves have we ever prayed to our father, with an empty prayer, just going through the motions? Be careful how we use the word of God!

Today’s daily bread comes from the books of Matthew, and Mark., and it’s a very interesting point to make. One that few people stress, and we here at Zionreborn.com believe that those words less spoken are the ones that we should cry out from the top of a mountain. It is often these words left unsaid which we neglect and will become the most important in the long run. Now, don’t get bummed, we aren’t here to bust you bubble, but instead to put a little more air in it, not the kind of air that suffocates you with false hope, but rather a good and faithful word.

The word for today gives of an example of scribes and Pharisees who rationalized their abuse of the word of God, in order that they may be found favorable in the eyes of the people. This is an attempt to save face! The Pharisees were justifying keeping money they did not deserves, money which they should have used to take care of their aging parents they called “a gift from God” which they could keep for themselves. Jesus exposed them for who they really are in the book of Mark (7:10-13). As we can clearly see, God is no respecter of persons, and he will expose us if we are using his word as a way to get over on his people. He will prove you a liar and deceiver just when you think you have conned everyone and have gotten away Scot-free.

Do not neglect those things which you know are upright because you don’t feel like following them. Don’t be like the Pharisees who only did what the word says if they felt it would be a benefit to them. In doing so you will wrongfully neglect the important matter of the word of God. We must strive to live above the fray.

The bible is not a tool that we can simply use to get what we want, when we want it, instead it is a tool to get what is promised to us through the blood of Jesus Christ. We must learn that we can expect all things and do all things, not because we can manipulate the word of God to fool others, but because Christ Jesus is faithful and will do what he has promised. Allow God to work in you so that he can work through you!

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” Ephesians 4:31

Anger, in this the year 2008 it is a formidable staple in people’s lives all across the globe, from Bangkok to L.A. It doesn’t matter where or who you are anger is not barred from you. And it shouldn’t be, God allowed us this emotion because it is part of what creates great passion in men and women. Passion and anger can be so strong that people can often confuse the two, though they are not interchangeable, What do i mean by that? Well its simple really, think about it for a moment, the time you get angry, is it because of selfish ambition? Now before you say I’ve gone off my rocker, just pause for a moment and ask yourself, in today’s world most of the times when people get angry there is way out of the situation, a door of escape if you will. And before you jump on my back with a nay-say stick remember all those times you got steaming mad, and it boils into anger, there is a process there, from the object of our anger to the boiling point thereof. This is how i think selfish ambition may get in the way, simply because overt anger is an act of the flesh, and if we year for the things of the flesh in this case it is Overt/Brazen Anger then we in an attempt increase our selves and reduce God within us, and in turn we display a small piece of selfish ambition. when it should be the absolute opposite. Now let’s be blear, notice the terms Overt and Brazen before the word anger, this is there because the bible says we should “be angry and sin not” Ephesians 4:26 Some of s are probably thinking “What?! How”

This leads us to todays second Word of study, it comes from Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind…”

You see, sometimes you have to speak to that which is ailing you, that which has you held you captive over the years, decades’ or maybe it has held you for a lifetime. But i say to enough is enough, and its time for a change. Remember, this battle is not yours it is the Lord’s, for we are not strong enough to go it alone, when we believe that we can get through it, the enemy knows now that its time to bring the lumber because that man/woman stands alone. The only way to be free is to fall into the arms of the Lord, allow him to wash clean these crimson stains of anger. You need the help, don’t say to yourself, “i don’t get that angry” I thought so too! It started as just an internal boiling, then it began to manifest itself in tiny little snickering comments, then it grew to outright meanness, then to little outbursts and finally to the point where everything and everyone could do something to make me angry at any give moment. I am convinced that overt and inherent anger is more than flesh and blood that we struggle with.

Now when you make the decision to give it to the Lord, this is not some sort of microwavable process, because it has to be a learned response. Most people think that everything the Lord does will be this instantaneous miracle, but rather sometimes the Lord has to teach us something. We’ve all heard the old saying “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach a man how to fish, he eats for a lifetime” How then will we ever learn is God always zapped us a miracle, because sinfull man we are, we would simply run to him each time for another quick fix. God is not a crack dealer. Rather God is more interested in us having a more fulfilling and abundant life, so this being the case God is set on teaching us, in order that we can live abundantly for a lifetime! Be coachable and attain victory!