Glimpse from the Lighthouse Issue #17

Dear Friends in Christ,

Hello! I hope you are all doing well!! :) I am! :) I have been still pretty busy, but I did manage to get out a newsletter in a little shorter time than last time. =) I'm sorry it's still been over a week though. Oh well. ;)
Actually, this study might be a little different, because I didn't make it just for the newsletter, it's actually an essay I had to write for school. I'm not sure how good of an essay it is, but I thought that to save time, I'd put it in here... I hope you don't mind!!! :) I thought it'd do. =)
I hope you are all enjoying the beginnings of spring!!
Have a most blessed day! God bless.
Happy Sabbath!!!!!!!!!!
Much love,
your sister in Christ,
Heather :)

Glimpse From The Lighthouse
March 14, 2008 number 17 (I think!)

Theme Verse~

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men, teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, godly,
in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ,
Who gave Himself for us, that He might
purify us and redeem unto Himself
a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Titus 2:11-14

Study::
~Jesus Understands~

Even though we live in a world that is filled with sorrow, suffering, and death, we can know that we have a loving and understanding Friend who will help us through. Jesus understands every sorrow, every trial we must go through, every temptation Satan throws in our path. Jesus came to Earth in humble human form; He lived with pain, sadness, and temptation just like we have to.

Mark 15:29-32 tells us Jesus was ridiculed, mocked, reviled. His own people rejected Him, abused Him, and, finally, killed Him.

We also read that Jesus was tempted by Satan (Hebrews 4:15). He was tempted like we are, but He overcame the devil. Jesus knows what it is like to be weak, but He trusted God for strength and it was granted.

Jesus had sorrows while He was on Earth. He wept with grief over the faithlessness and unbelief of His disciples (John 11:32-40). He was touched by the pain and suffering of humanity.

Jesus went through incredible agony as He suffered and died on the cross for our sins. Most of us cannot even comprehend the physical anguish of the cross, much less the mental anguish of bearing every sin ever commited by all mankind! But He bore it for US. :)

Jesus even knows what it is like to feel forsaken, totally abandoned by the only One who cares about you. Mark 15: 34 says He 'cried... saying, ... 'My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?'' Jesus felt forsaken by God. We don't even have to go through that! We may, in our doubt and unbelief, feel like God has left us, but He HAS promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Yes, Jesus can truly understand every trial, sorrow, and temptation we must face. He does know what it is like, because He has experienced the same thing Himself! But not only does He understand, He can help us with our problems, sorrows, and temptations!

Romans 8:1 tells us there is 'no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit'. And verse 2 says 'the law of the Spirit of life' sets us 'free from the law of sin and death'! Jesus sets us free.

Hebrews 4:16 tells us about Jesus' 'throne of grace', where we will find 'mercy, and... grace to help in time of need'.

Jesus understands! And He will help us too, if we will only let Him. :)


Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray for Katie's evangelistic series that is coming up! She's going to preach every other night. :)
2. Please pray for Aaron, an agressive guy in Jessica's class.
3. Please pray for Stacey's cousins. :)
4. Please pray for Nick - I'm sure some of you know about him - he was in a car accident and he's still in a coma. It's been 6 weeks or more. So please pray! (Request from Katie.)
5. Please pray for a friend of Brenna's - her parents are going through a divorce and she's hurting right now! Thanks!



I liked this quote from Review & Herald! Hahna sent it out and I thought I would add it to the newsletter. :)
'It is essential to live by every word of God, else our old nature willconstantly reassert itself. It is the Holy Spirit, the redeeming graceof truth in the soul, that makes the followers of Christ one with oneanother, and one with God. He alone can expel enmity, envy, andunbelief. He sanctifies the entire affections. He restores thewilling, desirous soul from the power of Satan unto God. This is thepower of grace. It is a divine power. Under its influence there is achange from the old habits, customs, and practices which, whencherished, separate the soul from God; and the work of sanctificationgoes on in the soul, constantly progressing and enlarging.'

Review and Herald, Oct. 12, 1897



Until next time, may God bless each of you abundantly!!!!!!
Much love,
Heather

(posted by R)

Glimpse From The Lighthouse Issue #16

Dear Friends in Christ,
Hello! I hope you're all doing well! Things are pretty good here! I am sooooo sorry I haven't been doing the newsletters! I just get busy and put it off... anyway, I'm really sorry. I will try to do them more often!! =) And thank you to all those who submitted things! I'll take more, for the next newsletter! ;)
Spring is coming here. =) Our flowers are coming up and some of them have buds already, and it is getting warmer! Although it IS raining here, that is a part of spring too. ;)
I hope you all have a most blessed week! May God abundantly bless you! :)
Much love,
Heather

Glimpse From The Lighthouse
No. 16 March 3, 2008

Theme Verse~

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men, teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, godly,
in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ,
Who gave Himself for us, that He might
purify us and redeem unto Himself
a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Titus 2:11-14

Study::
~To Honor or Not to Honor~


1 Samuel 2:30 says "... Them that honor Me, I will honor..." That's a verse that has really influenced some decisions I've made! :) I have it in a little frame in my room. So, God says, if we honor Him, put Him first, and do our best to please Him, He will honor us in return! And if we do NOT honor God, and give Him first place, He will "lightly esteem" us (see last part of 1 Sam. 2:30).

We have only two choices! We can choose to honor God above all else, or we can serve the Devil and self. A lot in Deuteronomy talks about the blessings of following God, and the consequences of forsaking Him! It is quite amazing! :)

1 John 14:21 says "He that hath My Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." One way we can honor God is by keeping His Commandments. :)

Psalms 91:14-15 tells us that when we love God, He will be with us in trouble, He will deliver us, and he will honor us. :)

Deuteronomy 30:15 ~
"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His Commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
BUT if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land...
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing, and cursing: therefore choose LIFE!!, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest lovethe Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days..."

We have only two choices! Which will it be? Life, or death? Blessing, or cursing? Good, or evil?
...Them that honor Me.....
I will honor.
~1 Sam. 2:30

Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray for Sharon's Russian friends.
2. Please pray that Sharon will be a good witness for our Saviour.
3. Please pray for my friend who is having a hard time. :)
4. Please pray for Angela's aunts and uncles. :)
5. Please pray for all of us, that we will stay true to God and we will all be in heaven some day. I'm not just saying this because it sounds nice! The struggle is very real, and Jesus really IS coming soon! May we all be ready!

Praises:
Angela says, her grandmother who was sick is doing much better now! And her uncle is back from India safely. :)


I think that is all... I hope I'm not forgetting anything! I just want to put a little poem in here, for fun. =) I really enjoyed it and it has a good lesson.

~A wise old owl lived in an oak.
The more he saw, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that bird!~
By E. H. Richards. :)

BYE, GOD BLESS, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY EVERYONE!!! LOVE YOU!
YOUR FRIEND IN CHRIST,
HEATHER ANN

(Posted By: AJ)