“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  

Dear Friends,

Since the previous edition, the household goods for the McIntosh family has been packed, loaded up, and placed en-route to the next destination.  As a result, E.C.H.O. will be continuing future articles from near by lands of the Apostle Paul’s journeys.

This venture was not at all in the plans, thoughts, or decisions of E.C.H.O. (or the McIntosh’s) goals or desires.  But there is a reason for this, and our Lord God is in charge.  So after a Jonah like struggle, I have opened my heart to the Lord’s directing and await to see what our Heavenly Father has in store for my family and me.

Currently, e-mail and Internet access is limited, so this may be the only publication sent over the next month or two.  If all works out well, a new service provider will be available shortly after arriving at our next base.

So, in the mean time, please take a moment to reflect upon this issue, and please keep my family and me in your thoughts and prayers as we continue our journey over the pond and into a Biblical historical location… which is also a land full of potential missionary journeys today.  Stay tuned and see where the Lord directs us and see how HE might use us.  Also, please keep James (our eldest son) and me in your prayers as we are eagerly seeking a possible mission’s trip to Russia early next year.  We need to obtain our passport, and work out a few other details… but am eager to see how even this might work out.

Your servant,
Daniel
Phil 1:6

4 - PICTURE of the DAY!!! 

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FACES
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“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth…  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together…  They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.”

Psalm 34:1-5

Photo by James & Daniel
Mt. Rushmore – 03 April 2006
Barnabas Ministries/E.C.H.O. 

Your comments, suggestions, ideas, and thoughts are welcomed.
Do you have an image (not copyrighted) you would like to share?
Please e-mail an image and feel free to suggest a verse/verses you think might go well with the picture.
(Photo's / images submitted become the property of E.C.H.O. and might be altered.
Images, requested verses, and topics are subject to display per discretion of E.C.H.O.)

“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

LOVE OTHERS AS GOD HAS LOVED US

1Jo 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1- LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER . . .  (7- 10)

Beloved…love one another.  With a quick study on the first portion of verse 7, the word “let” grabbed my attention.  LET US love one another.  Let… not do it if you feel like it; not try to do it if you can; not hope you can do it; but rather do it – that is to say, let us do it, let us love one another.

As I previewed this section of scripture in the Greek concordance, I noticed the phrase “let us love” was all wrapped up in one word – agpao, which is to love (in a social or moral sense) as one would care for a friend.  But this word love (love one another) is not the first reference of affection in this verse, but “Beloved is.

Beloved (agapetos), that is to say, dearly, or well loved ones.  You, who are dearly loved, love one another.  Share the love… give to others as you have been given.  Love others with the love God has given us.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1 JN 4:7)

Love is of God… and whoever loves is born and knows God.  To know God!  Whoa… gasp… sigh… (Catch my breath) – To know the very ONE who made me, who knew & loved me before the foundations of the world….  Not just acknowledging the fact HE is real, but to “know” HIM!

Knowing God is something we will be able to do for all of eternity…  Joh 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

2- IN THIS THE LOVE OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED THE TOWARD US (9-11)

God has shown us His love by sending us His Son.  This is how God’s love has been manifested (or displayed, made known, made visible) to us.  Is our love manifested in return?  The question I must ask is can others see a positive influence of God’s love in my life?  OR…  If I were to be tried in a court of law for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?

3- IN THIS IS LOVE . . . . (10 – 11)

Christ was sent to appease our sins.  God can not live with sin.  God is merciful and does not want to punish us, but because HE is just sin must be punished.  Christ became sin for us, even though He had never sinned.  He took on the sins of the world at the cross and paid the full penalty for sin - “death”, for the cost of sin is death (Rom 3:23).  He was buried, and rose up from the grave three days later (1 Cor 15:3-4).  Through this our sins have been appeased.  God is satisfied with the payment and we can be reunited in a fellowship & relationship with Him again!

4 - IF WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER… (12 – 13)

… God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (11)

We have received and experienced God’s love.  But HIS love does not stop in our hearts, but continues to flow and grow.  WE must share, we need to share, we ought to share HIS love with others.  A song I once heard as a child states:

God’s love is like a circle

A circle big and round.

For when you see a circle

No ending can be found

And so the love of Jesus

Goes on eternally.

Forever and forever

I know that HE loves me!

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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 - NEXT ISSUE

Join us in the next issue, as we’ll pick back up in 1 John 4
and consider what is Love... God’s Love.

7 - PARTICIPATION

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… etc.

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

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

Daniel
"Family For God"
Philippians 1:6
 

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