Andrew Murray
And God Created Woman
Difference between Anabaptists and Evangelicals
Mysteries of the Kingdom of God
Anabaptist
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The
Anabaptist Voice
02/04/2009
Proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God: Love, Joy and Peace in
Jesus.
Dear
Friends,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We pray you are well. It is
already February. Time sure goes fast. Where are we going?
We are having beautiful days here in southern Arizona as you can see in
this picture of the saguaro cactus. One day Naomi’s ride to physical therapy
was supposed to come at 1:00. Since it was close to the
time, Michi and Naomi went outside to wait. The ride did not come for a long
time, but it was a lovely, sunny day and they enjoyed waiting in the warm
sunshine. When we drive, we do use the air-conditioner once in a while, too,
because of the warm sunshine here in the desert.
Don is busy working updating and supporting the medical billing computer
program that we sell. Michi is busy working on the Anabaptist songbook. She is
glad that it is not her job only, but God provides other people to help with the
proje
ct.
Naomi is working on writing the children’s story again. We do enjoy the
exercise with Wii Fit. Naomi is the best one, and most faithful one for the Wii
Fit exercise.
Don went to Debe Fleenor’s
house Saturday for a Vineyard church newcomer’s meeting. The picture shows Jo,
Don, Gary, Becky and Bill discussing the Vineyard church.
Jim is coming to be with us on February 14th and staying till 18th.
He is writing a book, so he is very busy. We are glad that he is coming.
Last Wednesday night at Elizabeth Willott’s house, we studied Matthew
5:27-30. Verse 27 and 28 did not speak to Michi, but 29 and 30 did.
"If your right eye makes
you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose
one
of the parts of your body, than for your
whole body to be thrown into hell.
“If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you;
for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your
whole body to go into hell.” (Mt 5:29-30)
When she was reading that part in the afternoon, she thought that even if
we cut off an eye or part of our body; we still can sin, because it is in the
heart that one sins. At the meeting, God gave her the answer. She remembered
when she was feeling down, or something she thought down of herself, Don tells
her, “Cut that out. Did you pray?” That is what she learned. She
should not look down to the mistakes or feeling down, she should cut it out and
pray. Thank you, Lord, for that teaching. Michi felt loved. Thank you, Lord.
Three Kinds of Love
The Greek language has three Greek words for the English word ‘love’:
agape, phileo and eros. The Greek word ‘eros’ means erotic love, sexual love,
and is not used in the New Testament. The Greek word ‘phileo’ is used for
friendly love and is used 25 times in the New Testament, such as in John 21:15
where Jesus asked Peter, “Do you agape love Me?”
and Peter replied, “I phileo love you.” Also in Mt 10:37 where Jesus said, “He
who phileo loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who
phileo loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” The
Greek word ‘agape’ means the unselfish, extreme kind of love that Jesus
demonstrated with His death on the cross. It is used 114 times in the New
Testament.
The Fifteen Characteristics of Agape Love
Jesus said, “Everyone will know that you are
My disciples by the agape love that you show for each other.” (John
13:34-35)
What is agape love? 1. Love is patient.
2. Love is kind. 3. Love does not envy. 4. Love does not
boast. 5. Love is not proud. 6. Love is not rude. 7.
Love is not self-seeking. 8. Love is not easily angered. 9.
Love keeps no record of wrongs. 10. Love does not delight in evil.
11. Love rejoices with the truth. 12. Love always protects. 13.
Love always trusts. 14. Love always hopes. 15. Love always
perseveres. (1 Cor 13:4-7)
John wrote: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we
show love for each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 John
3:14)
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John
4:16)
Jesus said, “This is my commandment
that you love one another that your joy may be full.”
(John 15:10-12)
How Far Do We Have To Go In Showing Agape Love?
How much love does God desire of His people? Jesus answered that by saying
that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. (Mt 19:19, 22:39, Mk
12:31, 33, Luke 10:27, also Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8)
How far are we to go in loving our neighbor as ourselves? The best way to
answer that question is to see how the early church answered it. As we see in
Acts 2 and 4, the early church loved their neighbors as themselves by sharing
all their material goods in common. They sold their possessions (lands and
houses) in accordance with the commands of Jesus (Mt 6:19, 19:21, Luke 12:33,
14:33, John 13:34-35) and gave the money to the apostles to be distributed as
needed. (Acts 2:44-46, 4:32-5:11)
It is obviously impossible to love one’s neighbor as oneself if one has
riches and the other is in need, as is made clear in James 2:14-18.
After the time of the apostles, the early church continued to live this
true Christian community lifestyle, called the Way of the Lord in Acts 18:25.
The Didache (about 80 AD) states, "Do not turn away from those who are in
need, but share all things in common with your brother. Do not claim anything
as your own, for if you have fellowship in the immortal, how much more in
perishable things."
Barnabas
(about 120 AD) writes, "Love your neighbor more than your own soul.
Share everything with your neighbor and call nothing your own. For if you are
sharers in what is incorruptible, how much more so in corruptible things!"
Justin Martyr
(about 165 AD) wrote, "We who formerly treasured money and possessions
more than anything else now hand over everything we have to a treasury for all
and share it with everyone who needs it."
Tertullian
(about 198 AD) wrote, "We who are inwardly bound together in spirit
and in soul can have no hesitation in surrendering our property. We hold
everything in common."
Over time the Church gave into the ways of the world and gave up living in
obedience to all of the commands of Jesus, including giving up their possessions
(Luke 12:33, 14:33). The Lord God renewed this Way of the Lord, the true
Christian community lifestyle, in the 16th century during the
Reformation when a group of sincere Christians, called the Anabaptists, began to
restore love in the Church by sharing all goods in common. This way continues
to this day with a few Christian groups such as the Bruderhof, the Hutterian
Brethren (Anabaptists), I’SOT and the Twelve Tribes.
The Narrow Way Requires Agape Love, Extreme Love
Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many
enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads
to life, and only a few find it.” (Mt 7:13-14)
Jesus told a rich young man that if he wanted to go all the way, he had to
sell his possessions. The man went away sad. (Mt 19:21)
Someone asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
Jesus replied, “Try
your hardest to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will
try to enter and will not be able to.”
(Luke 13:23-24)
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. (2 Cor 13:14)
your brother and sisters in Christ,
Don, Michi & Naomi Murphy
Tucson, AZ, phone 520-297-1639
www.AnabaptistChurch.org
"Do not store up wealth on earth… You can not
serve both God and mammon.” (Mt 6:19)