ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”   Hebrews 10:22

3 - EDITOR's CORNER  

  Take a look at the E.C.H.O. logo.  A lighthouse built on the foundation of God’s Word, spreading light… truth… hope… and assurance to all those around.  That is the goal of E.C.H.O. - to be a light (a beacon), a vessel used by God to share HIS truth, HIS hope, HIS boundaries, and HIS message to all.  And just as much as I enjoy the opportunity to encourage others, in all honesty, I too need encouragement in return.

  Recently the Lord allowed me to travel some rocky roads.  Stressing moments were in front of me, good restful sleep was not a partner in my house, and life was placing challenges in front of my steps.  The truth is, I allowed my pride to take my focus off of God’s peace, truth, hope, and assurance.  I struggled between wanting things my way and God’s way.  But God did not give up on me.  He allowed dear friends to cross my path, to see my struggles, and to pray with and for me, to encourage… helping me see I needed to focus on God, and not my circumstances.

  Yes, the situation appears much better (even though the circumstances/events hasn’t really changed)… the difference is, where my focus is.  I still have tuff days.  But the love of God, family, friends, and a wonderful church is a true blessing and joy, and helps me through each moment… and a powerful key that helps is ensuring I have a quiet time with the Lord each day.  In our house, we call that “Fellowship - with the Lord” Not devotions, but Fellowship.

  We all need encouragement from time to time.  And just as much as we need to receive it, we need even more so to share it.  Thank you to each one of you who has been an encouragement in my life.  I hope and pray I am as much (if not more so) an encouragement to you in return.

   I encourage you to look to the promises of God, stay within his boundaries, and experience true fellowship in HIS light.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  1 John 1:7

4 - PICTURE of the DAY!!!

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PROMISE! 
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And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.  It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth."

Genesis 9:12-17

Photo by Daniel
McChord AFB, WA, 07 May 2004
Barnabas Ministries (E.C.H.O.)

Your comments, suggestions, ideas, and thoughts are welcomed.
Should you have a picture you have taken (not copyrighted) you would like to share in PICTURE of the WEEK!!!,
please e-mail a copy in .jpg or .gif format.  Feel free to suggest a verse/verses you think might go well with the image.
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5 - DEVOTIONAL

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(1 John 1:5-7)

  As I shared this message with my family, I had everyone close and cover their eyes.  I then proceeded to turn off the lights, and create as dark of an atmosphere as possible.  When I encouraged them to open their eyes and look around, there was difficulty for them to see where everything was.  I then took a flashlight and shined it in the room.  WOW! What a difference just a little bit of light made!  The darkness was sliced like a warm knife sliding through butter.  The anxiety of the unknown was removed as the comfort of some hopeful light had exposed the reality of where everything was.

  After this demonstration ended, I began to tell a story…

  Imagine what life would be like if we were born in a dark dungeon.  There were no windows, no light bulbs, nothing in the room to cast light into the room.  And being born in such a place and condition, this life was all we knew from birth on.  We couldn’t see anything.  On occasion, we’d bump into the wall, or whatever was in front of us.  We could not see anything in front of us, not even our hands in front of our face.  But we never thought anything about this, as for us, it was our way of life… it was how our ancestors lived, and how we still lived to this very day.

  Then one day, a noise is heard near one of the walls.  A noise is head echoing mighty and powerful as a door is slammed open, and someone with a flashlight shines a piercing beam of light into your eyes!

  “OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!” You exclaimed as the pain of this strange item blinds you.  Fear courses it’s way through every ounce of your body, through your veins, and centers in the middle of your heart.

  “What is this… this… thi…?” You wonder as the light no longer blinds your eyes, but begins to reveal to you what your surroundings are like.

  You experience something that is somewhat exhilarating.  The pain of the light is no longer as drastic as at first.  Actually, is sort of feels good as you realize for the first time you are actually seeing things with your eyes, you see the truth of what you have been living in since birth… and just at that moment, you look down and see you are without clothing, you are filthy, slimy, grungy.  You now realize that stench you have lived with all your life is coming from your own body, as well as from the slimy, moldy, repulsing wall and floor.  All emotions turn to embarrassment, guilt, shame, and sadness.  You realize you don’t like the light, because it reveals the truth to you, and you don’t want to experience the truth as it shows you how dirty you really are.  You want this person who was sent (missionary) you8r way to go away and leave you alone, to turn their light of and leave you in the darkness.  But then you realize it too late.  You already know the truth, even in the darkness, should the light be removed, you would still know what type of life you are living.  You’ve been exposed to the truth.

  The missionary explains how there is life outside of these walls.  Freedom awaits, and he has the key to set you free.  Do you accept it, reject it, what do you do?

  If you reject, you remain a prisoner in a darkened, sad, and repulsing lifestyle.  If you accept it, you have no idea what’s beyond the door.  There’s a fear of what’s to follow, but curiosity to experience more truth.

  You accept the offer, receive the gift of freedom, and the missionary unlocks the chains that have bound you to this room.  Instantaneously as you walk through the door, you experience a cleansing process that removes all filth, stench, and grime.  You are clothed in glorious apparel.  And you see life like you’ve never experienced it before!  NO, no all things go “happily ever after” from that point on, but now you have hope, now you have peace, now you have faith as you feel the love from one who cares greatly for you and your well being.

  1 - GOD IS LIGHT  (vs. 5)
  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

  A) There are three terms used in the Greek to speak of “light”

1) phos {foce} – a general term for light such as the light from a fire

2) pheggos {feng'-gos} - a more concrete and emphasized definition, for example: the bright sunshine, the beam of light.

3) auge {owg'-ay} - a stronger term, suggesting the fiery nature of light; used of shooting, heating rays of uncertain derivation

a) break of day

b) brightness, radiance, daylight

   B) darkness= skotia {skot-ee'-ah}

            1) darkness

2) the darkness due to want of light

           3) metaph. used of ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell

  In Genesis 1, we see that God created “light”

  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.  (Gen 1: 1-5)

  And in John 1 we see that Christ, who was in the beginning, is the “LIGHT of men”

  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  (John 1:1-5) 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  (John 8:12)

  The message (or announcement) has been declared (made known) to us that God is Light and in Him is NO DARKNESS at all.  “Light” is used in a general sense to describe a character, nature, and attribute of God.  Not that He is a light, as in the sense of the sun, moon and stars, but that He is pure.... He is righteous, He is clean.... there is no darkness... no sin in Him at all.  He is not found wanting or lacking - He is complete, and He shows us the way (as a light would do) to eternal life through His Son, and a reunited fellowship/relationship with Him.

  2- FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD IS NOT WALKING IN DARKNESS (vs. 6)
  :6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

A) Fellowship= koinonia {koy-nohn-ee'-ah} (used 20 times in the scriptures)

1) English words used to describe koinonia in the scriptures include

a) Fellowship (used 12 times in the kjv)

b) Communion (used 4 times in the kjv)

c) Communication (used 1 time in the kjv)

d) Distribution (used 1 times in the kjv)

e) Contribution (used 1 times in the kjv)

 f) Communicate (used 1 times in the kjv)

 2) DEFINITION: A deep and rich commitment and communication with the LORD.

a) The share which one has in anything, participation

b) Intimacy

B) Walk= peripateo {per-ee-pat-eh'-o} to walk about or be occupied.

1) To make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities

2) Hebrew for, to live

a) To regulate one's life

b) To conduct one's self

c) To pass one's life

  Fellowship WITH God is a necessary requirement for all to have a healthy and balanced life between the heavenly/spiritual existence, and the earthly/human experience we are part of everyday.  To not have fellowship is to experience a small taste of hell (a separation from God).  But for us to have a true form of honest fellowship with God, we must work at it, just as we work to have a relationship with any other person we know today.  Our “walk” will reveal who we are more than our “talk” will expose.  For what is most important to us is what we strive to accomplish and achieve.  If fellowship with God is crucial in our daily life, and we see this need, we will strive to achieve a fruitful relationship with HIM.  This will be evident in the things we think, say, and do (our walk).  Our thoughts and speech should be more occupied with godly things, not earthly things  (Col 3:2), and our actions will reveal our true inner beliefs.

  If we “say” we have fellowship with God, but our lifestyle is filled with sinful, selfish motivated desires, then we are liars. God hates sin.  Sin is anything evil and wicked, unrighteous, and against the will and nature of God.  To say we have fellowship with God, and then to walk a selfish, sinful, unrepentant lifestyle is a disgusting lie.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.  (1John 3:8-9)

 3- WALKING IN HIS LIGHT GIVES US FELLOWSHIP (vs. 7)
  :7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

  Most of the major words (in these few verses) have already been explained and defined in the above two statements.  We see that if we walk.... place our way of living..... in the light as He (God) is (already) in the light, we have fellowship (communion, communication, association, a strong relationship) with other believers “in” Christ!  Want to have some great fellowship, a beautiful relationship with other Christians?  Walk in the Light of God’s Word.  Live in the Word, mediate on it, memorize it, live it, share it.  Make the Word of God so important that scriptures flow through your every inch of being just as your blood does.  Make the Word of God so important it’s not a dusty book on the shelf, but it’s a valuable part of your body just like an arm, leg, or any other part of the body.

  Fellowship with God, and fellowship with other believers is very important.  It should be a way of life, everyday!  True fellowship, true relationships.... and by relationships - not in the sense that the world defines it, for they degrade and devalue the true meaning, but a relationship where God is placed first with His values, His desires, His commandments, His Word.  Put God first in all that’s done.  Walk in HIS light.... walk according to the Word He has given us.  Let your light shine before men so brightly that the world will see Christ in you!

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  (Mt 5:14-16)

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“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands… and purify your hearts…”  James 4:8

6 - NEXT ISSUE

Invite a friend to join us with our next issue when we continue the journey on FELLOWSHIP in the book of 1 John and examine FORGIVENESS…

ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,
Sincerely yours,

-=Daniel
  Philippians 1:6

ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO

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