Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

January 12
Monday


A STORYTELLER

READ:
Colossians 1:13-23
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You, who once were
alienated..., yet now
He has reconciled.
Colossians 1:21
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In the years following the American Civil War (1861-1865), Union Major General Lew Wallace served as a governor of the New Mexico territories; New Mexico not yet having been admitted as a state. His work there put him in contact with many of the characters that make up the Wild West's near-mythic history, including Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett. It was here that Wallace wrote what has been called by some "the most influential Christian book" of the 19th century, Ben-Hur: A tale of the Christ.

Wallace witnessed the worst impact of sin on humanity as he saw the violence of the Civil War and the Wild West. In life and in his bestselling book, Wallace understood that only the story of Jesus Christ has the power of redemption and reconciliation.

For the follower of Christ, the climax of our lives was the moment God" delivered us fromt eh powr of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in who we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13-14). Now we have the privilege of being storytellers of God's wonderful redemption.
__Randy Kilgore

``````````````````````Lord, please take control of my words today.``````````````````
```````````````````````Fill me with Your words of love and grace.````````````````````
````````````````````````use them to turn some heart toward```````````````````````
`````````````````````````You. I can do nothing without You.```````````````````````
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The difference Christ makes in your life
is a story worth telling.

***********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Colossians 1:13-23*********************************

13 He has delivered us form
the power of darkness and
conveyed us into the
kingdom of the son of His
love, 14 in whom we have
redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of
sins.

15 He is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn
over all creation. 16 For by
Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that
are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities
or powers. All things were
created through Him and for
Him. 17 And He is before all
things, and in Him all things
consist. 18 And he is the
head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning , the
firstborn from he dead, that
in all things He may have
the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father
that in Him all the fullness
should dwell, 20 and by Him
to reconcile all things to
Himself, by Him, whether
things on earth or things in
heaven, having made peace
through the blood of His
cross.

21 And you, who once were
alienated and enemies in
your mind by wicked works,
yet now He has reconciled

22 in the body of His flesh
through death, to present
you holy, and blameless, and
above reproach in His
sight__ 23 if indeed you
continue in the faith,
grounded and steadfast, and
are not moved away from
the hope of the gospel which
you heard, which was
preached to every creature
under heaven, of which I,
Paul, became a minister.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Paul mentions the believer's past, present, and future in this passage.
We "once were enemies," but now in Christ "we have redemption"
and are "reconciled" (vv.14,21). When Christ returns, He will "present
[us] holy and blameless" if we "continue in the faith" (vv.22-23).