Glimpse From The Light House Newsletter #22

Dear Friends in Christ,

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing great, and enjoying the beginnings of fall and getting back to school... :) I do wish it were still really summer, like June or July or something... I miss the fun things of summer and having more free time! Well, I do like school. Anyway, I'm again sorry that it's been so long since I did a newsletter! I've been very bad about it! :( I will try to do better! And I'm taking submissions for the next newsletter, if anyone has any poems, stories with a good spiritual message, book reviews, prayer requests or praises, etc... :) I just realized I haven't done one since YD camp... well for those of you whom I have not talked to since July, YD camp was really really awesome and ssuucchh a blessing to me! I had a wonderful time there!:) :) For my new friends from YD camp this year, this is a newsletter I do, hope you enjoy it. :)

Have a wonderful day in Christ!!God bless!

Love,

~Heather~

~*Glimpse From The Lighthouse*~
September 15,2008 Number 22

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:

~Draw Nigh to God~

James 4:7-8 says 'Submit yourselves therefor to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.'

God wants us to draw near to Him. And this should also be our desire as Christians!

Why should we 'draw nigh to God'?

• He gives us strength to resist temptation (James 4:7-8, Prov. 10:29, Ps. 28:8).
  
• He takes away our fear, and He delivers us from trouble (Ps. 27:1, Ps. 46:1).
• God wants us to draw near to Him, and it will give us joy! (Ps. 27:8, Ps. 16:8,9,11)
• We will have hope (Ps. 16:8-9, Ps. 71:5) and...
• If we continually grow nearer to God, Jesus says, in John 14:3, 'I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.' Then we'll be about as close to God as we can get - we'll live with Him for all of eternity!
  

How can we draw near to God? Well, by spending time with Him in Bible study and prayer! Also this paragraph sums it up quite well:

'A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might! So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love - this is the subject for the soul's contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.'

~Ellen White, Steps to Christ, pg. 62

:) God bless!!!

I thought this hymn went well with the study...

'Nearer, Still Nearer'

Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart Draw me, my Savior so precious Thou art! Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast Shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest Shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring Naught as an offr'ing to Jesus, my King Only my sinful, now contrite heart Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine! Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last Till safe in glory my anchor is cast Through endless ages ever to be Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee!

Prayer Request

Please pray for Des's friend who used to be an Adventist, but has turned away. She really needs prayer. Thanks!

Book Review

'Aim High, by Terry Lyndon Johnsson with Kay D. Rizzo- my favorite book yet! “You can’t do it, dummy! You’re too stupid!”- Terry heard this all throughout his childhood, yet somehow got to the point of meeting four USA presidents, being on the Honour Guard, and witnessing to gangsters! This “somehow” and what comes after is what this book is about, and really shows that the “somehow” for all our circumstances to be solved, for others to come to Christ, for us to be victorious, is Jesus and His power alone! HIGHLY recommend this book to all of you- you’ll eat it up in two nights and “cry”when it’s over!'

~Jessica Carvajal

God bless, everyone, have a great day and I'll try to do another newsletter before tooo much time elapses!