Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

January 26
Saturday


STORY TIME

READ:
2 Corinthians 3:1-11
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You are an epistle of
Christ...written not
with ink but by the
Spirit of the living God,
not on tablets of stone
but on tablets of flesh,
that is, of the heart.
__2 Corinthians 3:3
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As a child, I loved it when my mom read to me. I would sit on her lap and listen to every word. As she read, I examined the details of every picture and waited eagerly to hear what was on the next page.

Have you ever thought about the idea that our lives tell a story? In every situation--good, bad, or indifferent--people around us are watching and listening to the story we are telling. Our story is communicated not only through our words but also through our attitudes and actions as we respond to life's buffetings and blessings. Our children and grandchildren, spouses, neighbors, and co-workers can all observe the story we're telling.

Paul reminds us that as followers of Jesus, our lives are like letters "known and read by all men; ...an epistle of Christ...written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God" (2 Cor. 3:2-3).

What is the story that those around us are reading through the letter of our lives? Stories of forgiveness? Compassion? Generosity? Patience? Love?

If you've experienced the joy of a grace-filled life that comes from the Spirit of God in you, then welcome to the joy of being one of God's great storytellers! __Joe Stowell
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**************************************Dear Lord, we love You. We want our lives to*************************************
******************************************tell the story of Your goodness and grace.**************************************
**********************************************May we be a bold witness of You.********************************************
*****************************************Use us in ways we never thought possible.***************************************
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let your life tell the story of Christ's
love and mercy to the world around you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Corinthians 3:1-11~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Do we begin again to
commend ourselves? Or
do we need, as some others,
epistles of commendation
to you or letters of
commendation from you?

2 You are our epistle written
in our hearts, known and
read by all men; 3 Clearly
you are an epistle of Christ,
ministered by us, written
not with ink but by the
Spirit of the living God, not
on tablets of stone but on
tablets of flesh, that is, of
the heart.

4 And we have such trust
through Christ toward God.

5 Not that we are sufficient
of ourselves to think of
anything as being from
ourselves, but our
sufficiency is from God,

6 who also made us
sufficient as ministers of the
new covenant, not of the
letter but of the Spirit; for
the letter kills, but the Spirit
gives life.

7 But if the ministry of
death, written and engraved
on stones, was glorious, so
that the children of Israel
cold not look steadily at
the face of Moses because
of the glory of his
countenance, which glory
was passing away, 8 how
will the ministry of the
Spirit not be more glorious?

9 For if the ministry of
condemnation had glory,
the ministry of
righteousness exceeds much
more in glory. 10 For even
what was made glorious
had no glory in this respect,
because of the glory that
excels. 11 For if what is
passing away was glorious,
what remains is much more
glorious.

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

Letters of recommendation were common in the ancient world,
introducing someone and giving approval of that person or authority
for some task (Ezra 7:21-24; Neh. 2:7-8; Acts 18:27; Rom. 16:1-2;
1 Cor. 16:3). Since Paul did not have any such letters, his opponents
charged that he was not a true apostle (2 Cor. 3:1).