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ECHO ~ Vol 9 - 2005
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E.C.H.O. ~ Encouragement Can Help Others
Volume 9 Edition 04 19
February 2005
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"Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are
of the household of faith . . . .
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health
to the bones . . . .
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one
another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;"
Galatians 6:10; Proverbs 16:24; I Peter 3:8
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ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~
ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO
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CONTENTS
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1-MEMORY VERSE |
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2-
WORDS
OF THOUGHT |
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3-
EDITOR's CORNER |
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4-
PICTURE
of the DAY!!! |
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5- DEVOTIONAL |
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6-
NEXT ISSUE |
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Today,
in reflection of our yesterday, with great hope for tomorrow,
we remember our sunsets, looking contently confident towards the
Sonrise. We remember those who have stood firm in the
fight for our faith, hope, and freedom. We honor those
who have gone before us, carrying the torch, which lights our way to
truth, honor, and life.
Pressing forward, sharing in the same excellence of the
flame, passing the enkindling hope to the generations ahead, may we
passionately be so bold, strong, and courageous that we may also
stand firm with valor, compassion, and confidence in the
contending hope which God has given us.
11
Sept 2002 - Daniel
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All scripture references
are from the
New King James Version,
unless otherwise specified. |
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ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO
~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHOECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO
~ ECHO
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“.
. . Revive me, O LORD, according to your word.”
(Psalms
119:107) |
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I
write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you
for His name's sake.
I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is
from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have
overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because
you have known the Father.
1
John 2:12-13 |
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Where
is YOUR Strength?
Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
(Ephesians 6:10-11)
Strong – to
empower:--enable, (increase in) strength
In – a
primary preposition denoting position (in place, time or state), and
(by implication) instrumentality, i.e. a relation of rest
Power – vigor ("great")
(literally or figuratively):--dominion, might, strength
Might – ability, power, strength.
…This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of
hosts. Zech 4:6
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is
infinite. Ps 147:5
He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He
increases strength. Isa
40:29
Do
we rely on our own power to accomplish things?
Does our strength come from within or without?
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“If
then you were raised with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right
hand of God. Set
your mind on things above,
not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ
in God.”
(Col 3:1-3)
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ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~
ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO
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“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
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3
- EDITOR's
CORNER
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Dear Friends,
I recall my younger days when I was a teen, and the valued
friendship I held with some wonderful Christian young men and women
I met while working with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Minnesota,
Inc. One specific
friend of mine, Arthur, was first one of my greatest enemies.
He was strong as he worked on a farm and was required to
physically stay in shape with his chores. His attitude was brash towards me. We both had one thing in common; we did not like each other
at all. Then the State
Director, (Uncle) Greg, proposed the two of us work together.
I was devastated when he asked.
I don’t know if he realized the relationship the two of us
had (or should I dare say – didn’t have).
I did not really want this to happen at all.
But it did… I
worked with Arthur the whole summer.
I feared I was to be bullied, would be living in a shadow and
fear… but that summer with Arthur changed my perspective of who he
was. He became a
regular person like you and me, in my eyes. Over the weeks of that summer, Arthur changed from my worst
enemy to a best friend. The
same thing happened for Arthur as well.
Arthur became someone I admired and respected once I truly
got to know him.
There was some growth that occurred that summer, physical,
spiritual, and mental. That
was twenty-five years ago, and no matter how old I get I realize
there is always room for more growth, especially in the mental and
spiritual portions of my life.
After getting to know Arthur, I recall another summer where
he shared how he loved to listen to his grandfather talk.
Arthur could just sit and listen for hours on end when his
grandpa spoke. The
reason he enjoyed listening so much was because he saw his
grandparent with wisdom and understanding, a man filled with
experiences and a life full of wisdom.
Arthur soaked dup that knowledge and wanted to take in every
ounce his mind could grab.
John writes as an elderly man to the saints.
He has traveled through some hard experiences and wants to
pass along some good for those younger than him.
We need to be like Arthur, sitting quietly and soaking in
every ounce of wisdom and understanding passed our way from our
elder(s). Today, we see John write a love letter to his heavenly
family here on earth.
He writes to 3 groups, young, middle aged, and an older
generation. Yet, from
John’s [perspective, all 3 groups were still younger than him, and
he had something valuable to share with them all.
John’s valuable message is just as important today as it
was back then… let’s
read his words, and listen to the wealth of knowledge he wants to
pass our way.
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4
- PICTURE
of the DAY!!!
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______________________________________________
FAMILY
_______________________
Hear,
my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know
understanding; For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.
When I was my father's son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my
mother, he also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live. Get
wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my
mouth…. My son, give attention to
my words; Incline your ear to my sayings….”
Proverbs
4:1-5, 20
Photo
by UNKNOWN
Springfield,
IL 194?
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.
(Photo's
& images submitted become the property of E.C.H.O. and
may be altered.
Images, suggested
verses, and topics are subject to display per discretion of E.C.H.O.)
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5
- DEVOTIONAL
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(1
John 2:12-14)
A
LETTER TO THE FAMILY
Nelson’s
Illustrated Bible Dictionary states that John wrote the 3
epistles “like a love letter from an elderly saint who
writes from long years of experience with Christ and His
message…. [And 1 John] was written to a broad
audience (probably in and around Ephesus) that was very dear
to the author.” Here
in this portion of 1 John (chapter 2), we see the writer
addressing a group of people who he calls children,
young men, and fathers.
Basically, that’s the whole spectrum of ages from
young, to middle age, to adulthood….
And John writes/wrote to them because….
1
- I WRITE UNTO YOU
(A, B, C)… BECAUSE.
(vs. 12 - 13)
A) Little Children-
because…
I) Your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.
(vs. 12)
II) Because you have known the Father. (vs. 13)
B)
Fathers- Because you have known Him who is from the
beginning. (vs. 13)
C) Young Men-
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
(vs. 13)
What
joy it is to know that our sins are forgiven… and because of
that forgiveness, we have the victory already, through the
blood of Jesus Christ, to overcome temptations that come our
way from the wicked one. And as a result of our salvation in
Christ Jesus, we can know and have fellowship with the Father!
2
- I HAVE WRITTEN UNTO YOU (A, B)…
BECAUSE. (vs.
14)
A) Fathers-
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
B) Young Men-
Because…
I) You are strong...
II) The word of God abides in you…
III) You have
overcome the wicked one.
Notice
how to progression flows…
Children: Your sins are forgiven… you know the
Father. That’s
where salvation starts in our life- through godly forgiveness
and knowing the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Young Men: You have overcome the wicked one.
This is mentioned twice.
As we grow in our life spiritually, from infant to
adulthood in Christ, it’s in the years after our spiritual
childhood that we begin to realize we have strength and power
in our Savior and can overcome sin and wickedness in our life
– through the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
John also writes to the young men: you are strong,
& God’s Word abides in you.
We can only be strong when indeed HIS Word is alive and
active in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Fathers: You have known HIM who is from the
beginning. There
a sense of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding here and as a
result there’s a responsibility to train, educate, and
inform those younger from that insight received.
We know how God has instructed children to obey their
parents in the Lord… (Eph 6:1 cf: Col 3:20), I believe we
should also listen to our godly elders as well in a similar
manner, for that is well pleasing unto the Lord. They (those whose age is greater than ours) have traveled
through more life and experiences, they have learned valuable
lessons in life, and can teach us so we don’t have to travel
the wrong path or experience a hard thing in our life as well.
3
– THE THREE GROUPS
The
three terms of age used here really grab my attention...
Children, Young Men, & Fathers.
Eerdman’s Handbook to the Bible states:
“The
threefold address is probably used for emphasis. Forgiveness, knowledge of God and victory over evil are
things all Christians possess.”
A) Little Children-
I) Your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.
(vs. 12)
II) You have known the Father. (vs. 13)
Isn’t
it wonderful to know that our sins are forgiven! And they are forgiven because of what Christ did on the
cross... because HE paid the penalty of sin and died for us! Because of Christ’s act we can know the Father, and the
only way to know the Father is to have our sin’s forgiven. As this portion is addressed to the little children, I am
reminded that we must come to HIM as little Children.
“Then
Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of
them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little
child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever receives one little child like this in My name
receives Me. But
whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to
sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung
around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the
sea.’” Mathew
18:2 – 6
Notice
John steps from children to fathers, then goes back to young
men.
B) Fathers- you
have known Him who is from the beginning.
(vs. 13)
With
“fathers” he repeats the same statement.
You have known HIM from the beginning.
And of course the “Him” (from the beginning) is
GOD.
We
know from John’s writing’s that God is in the beginning…
God meaning the triune aspect/character/nature of God (Father,
Son, Holy Spirit). John
does share how Christ specifically is in the beginning with
the Father:
“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.”
John 1:1-4
“That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the
life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and
declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and
was manifested to us-- that which we have seen and heard we
declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son
Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3
And
in Genesis 1 God ('elohiym) created the heavens and the
earth… “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our
image, according to Our likeness…’” (Gen 1:26)
Elohiym has a plural nature to the word meaning more
than one. Not
more than one God, for there is only one God, but the triune
nature of God (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit).
To
the young men, John has a list of statements.
C) Young Men-
you have overcome the wicked one.
(vs. 13)
I) You are strong...
II) The word of God
abides in you...
III) You have
overcome the wicked one (vs. 14)
The
only way to “overcome” the wicked one is to be strong (Ephesians
6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord,
and in the power of his might.”), and the way to be
strong is to have God’s Word abiding (dwelling) inside us,
which is done through study, devotions, meditation,
memorization, reading, hearing, godly Christian fellowship,
etc.
We
are in a constant spiritual battle every day.
The oppressor tries to gain ground and victory and gain
over the ground we have already received victory on.
We must stand firm, keep that ground, and can only do
so through the Word of God and the tools He has given us.
PUT
ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD (Eph.
6:10-18)
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having girded your waist with TRUTH
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having put on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS
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and having shod your feet with the preparation of the GOSPEL OF PEACE
- above all,
taking the shield of FAITH
(with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked one)
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and take the helmet of SALVATION
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and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the WORD OF
GOD
- Praying always
with all PRAYER and
supplication in the Spirit
- being WATCHFUL
to this end with all perseverance and supplication for
all the saints
We
know God, have fellowship with HIM, and know that our sins are
forgiven by HIM through the work of Jesus Christ.
We must stay strong… and daily put on HIS armor so we
can overcome the wicked one.
We must keep short accounts with God and confess our
sins. Know and
remember the GOD who was from the beginning.
Stand firm in the word of God.
“the
threefold address is probably used for emphasis. Forgiveness, knowledge of God and victory over evil are
things all Christians possess.”
“Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of
HIS might” (Eph. 6:10)
John wrote
as and elderly man to younger saints… As a child of God,
listen to your elder (John), head his words, and stay strong
with the ONE who ABIDES in you!
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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
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6
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NEXT ISSUE
Join
us in the next issue when we will continue in 1 John 2:15-17
As we ask the question “What’s
In Your Mind?”
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7
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PARTICIPATION
This
section is for
YOU... it is a revised section returning from the FIRST EDITIONS of E.C.H.O.
where you can actively participate in ECHO and sharing encouragement with
others. E.C.H.O.
is interested in your thoughts.
Do you have something you would like to share with others, a
favorite web link, a favorite verse/passage of scripture, etc? Please
write to
EncourageOthers@msn.com
and share you thoughts.
Please feel
free to share your stories of encouragement with ECHO.
Share your letters of hope, your favorite verses … a web
link you enjoy or have been blessed by….
----- Original
Message -----
From:
John…
Sent:
Wednesday, February 09, 2005 5:30 AM
Subject:
Your friend wants you to check out this page!
Hello
Daniel
Your
friend, John… has recommended this page to you:
http://www.preciouslordtakemyhand.com/christianhymns/preciousmemories.html
Please visit as soon as possible and don't forget to pass this onto all
your family and friends... Thank you and all the best to you from
KingsRewards!
Here is your friend's message:
Hi! I think that you will enjoy this site! It has most of the
old religious songs we grew up with, music and words, and it also gives a
brief history of some of these songs.
~~~
On Thu, 23 Oct
2003 14:12:34 -0500 … writes:
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ECHO
~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO
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The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you,
Sincerely yours,
Daniel
"Family
For God ~ 2005"
Philippians 1:6
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ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~
ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO ~ ECHO
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