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January 23
Wednesday


KINGDOM
LIVING

READ:
Colossians 1:3-14
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He has delivered us
from the power of
darkness and conveyed
us into the kingdom of
the Son of His love.
__Colossians 1:13
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I have a lot of friends who work in bad neighborhoods. One of these city warriors transplanted his family to the inner city. One day as he was walking down the hallway in his apartment building, he noticed two guys smoking crack cocaine. Not wanting his kids to see what they were doing, he asked the two to stop. The next thing he knew, one of their fists had found its way to his jaw. With a bleeding nose and mouth, he responded, "If Jesus shed His blood for me, I can shed my blood for you."

Shocked by the man's response, the two men fled. A few days later one of them returned, knocked on my friend's door, and said, "I have not forgotten your words. If your God is that real to you, then I want to know Him." That day, he was "delivered...from the power of darkness," and brought "into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Co. 1:13).

Those of us who have been rescued from the domain of darkness can bring a little bit of heaven to earth when we are willing to demonstrate the power of God's unique approach to life. Even in our moments of weakness and vulnerability, we are given opportunities to demonstrate the power and strength of God's forgiveness by showing His love for our enemies. __ Joe Stowell
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Help us, Lord, to be a lifeline~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To a dying world today,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bringing hope to hopeless people,~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~Telling them that Christ's the way. __ Sper~~~~~~~~~
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A world in darkness needs the light of the gospel.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Colossians 1:3-14***********

3 We give thanks to the
God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, praying always
for you, 4 since we heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus
and of your love for all the
saints; 5 because of the hope
which is laid up for you in
heaven, of which you heard
before in the word of the
truth of the gospel, 6 which
has come to you, as it has
also in all the world, and is
bringing forth fruit, as it is
also among you since the
day you heard and knew the
grace of God in truth; 7 as
you also learned from
Epaphras, our dear fellow
servant, who is a faithful
minister of Christ on your
behalf, 8 who also declared
to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason we also,
since the day we heard it, do
not cease to pray for you,
and to ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding;

10 that you may walk worthy
of the Lord, fully pleasing
Him, being fruitful in every
good work and increasing in
the knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all
might, according to His
glorious power, for all
patience and longsuffering
with joy; 12 giving thanks to
the Father who has qualified
us to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in
the light. 13 He has delivered
us from 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.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

This passage is one of the recorded prayers of Paul. Thanksgiving is a
key element in Paul's prayers (Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess.
1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:3). __SKT