Newsletter Issue #27

Glimpse From The Lighthouse

“Like Other Nations”

No. 27 June 17, 2009

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, and 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

redeem us from all iniquity,

and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,

zealous of good works.

Titus 2:11-14

From Me to You

Dear Friends in Christ,

Hello! I hope you are having a wonderful day in Christ! And I hope you’re keeping close to Him always, and growing in Him. Such blessings, such joy comes from choosing Jesus, and I hope that each of us will choose His way each day.

Thank you SO much to all those of you who helped with this newsletter! It was wonderful, all the feedback I got last time. Please keep it coming!! I’ve decided this time to use the theme of peer pressure. It was suggested by Jessica. =) Thanks!

I think often when we think of peer pressure, we think of things like smoking and drinking, and other things teenagers get into trouble with… and we don’t think it applies very much to US. But really, the idea is a whole lot deeper than that. “Pressure” from those around us can have a very far-reaching impact on our lives. There are some excellent examples of this in the Bible.

I don’t know how many of you have seen Pr. David Asscherick’s sermon called “Because of Those Who Sat.” The topic is peer pressure, and it is an amazing sermon! I highly recommend watching or listening to it! It’s from GYC 2007, I do believe, so you should be able to access it on the GYC website. Ask me for more details if you’re interested.

Anyway, in this sermon he uses the story of when John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod, “because of those who sat,” because of peer pressure, basically! Herod didn’t follow his conscience; he yielded to the influence of those around him.

I hope that each of us will choose God’s way no matter what, no matter what others around us think or do. He WILL give us the strength to stand firm for him, if we’ll let Him. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Love,

Heather

Thought of the Day

I think that one of the saddest examples of “peer pressure” in the Bible is the story of Israel asking for a king. “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:4-5).

Up to this point, God’s people Israel had been ruled by God, through His chosen men such as Moses and Joshua. But the Israelites were dissatisfied with this system. They wanted to be like the other people around them. They wanted to “fit in,” and they rejected God’s leadership. 1 Samuel 8:7 says (this is God speaking), “They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”

I know I have struggled with this idea of fitting in. It can be very hard sometimes, when we are so different from the world. But God has called us to be separate from the world! He doesn’t want us to be like them; He wants us to be like Himself. This is our calling. I like this quote by David Asscherick: “When the world looks darker and more like Satan himself, the Christian should look more and more like Jesus Himself.” If the world rejects us because we’re “different,” we should actually be happy, because that is exactly what happened to Jesus.

Back to Israel. =) I suppose the people thought they would be happy if they could just be like the other nations and have a king. But think about how much trouble, heartache, war and bloodshed this brought to Israel!! Many of their kings were evil men! Sure, there were some very good ones, but even they had their weak points. David, for example, and Solomon. Both of these men had major falls, which led to much sorrow! Because of Israel’s desire to be like others, they rejected God, and He in turn rejected them, and allowed many horrible things to happen to them.

God warned the people of Israel that a king was not the best thing for them: “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day” (1 Sam. 8:18). But it goes on… “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

So Israel got a king. They got what they wanted, because they rebelled against God. They did not trust His will. They did not submit to His plan, realizing that He always knows BEST. And they suffered much because of it.

Other similar examples are Solomon and Herod. Solomon had 700 wives (Can you imagine???), and because of their influence, he turned away from God (1 Kings 11). God had done soo much for Solomon! He had blessed him above all others with wisdom, and given him incredible riches besides! But Solomon allowed his heart to drift away, because of his wives.

The story of Herod and John the Baptist is found in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. It is very interesting! Herod didn’t want to kill John, but he did it because of the pressures put on him by other people.

May we stay true to God and not succumb to the worldly influences around us…. =) God will give us strength.

Quotes

“The greatest want of the world is the want of men,--men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.”

~Ellen White, Education, p. 57 (italics supplied)

“The children of God are wise when they trust in that wisdom alone which comes from above, and when they have no strength but that which is from God. Separation from the friendship and spirit of the world is needful for us if we would be united to the Lord and abide in him. Our strength and our prosperity consist in our being connected with the Lord, chosen and accepted of Him. There can be no union between light and darkness. God intends that His people shall be a peculiar people, separate from the world, and be living examples of holiness, that the world may be enlightened, convicted, or condemned, according as they treat the light given them.”

~Ellen White, Testimonies to the Church, vol. 2, p. 689

From Scripture

“For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”

~ Deuteronomy 14:2

“…Them that honor Me I will honor…”

~ 1 Samuel 2:30

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

~ Mark 8:36

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

~ John 15:18-19

“God is my strength and power: And he maketh my way perfect.”

~ 2 Samuel 22:33

Poem Corner

Part of a song, submitted by Jessica Carvajal

Take me past the outer court,
Into the holy place,
Past the brazen alter,
Lord, I want to see Your face.

I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness,
And it’s only found in one place.

Take me into the Holy of Holies;
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb.
Take me in to the Holy of Holies;
Take the coal; cleanse my lips, here I am.

Please Pray…

1. Korah requests prayer that her friend Angela can find a good job, and that she can see her soon.

2. Please pray for my lay pastor, his wife, and his mother. His mother has cancer and really isn’t doing well…. They can really use our prayers right now!

3. Juanita wants us to pray for her as she is going to college at Southern Adventist University soon; she hopes all the funds will all come in and that she will stay close to God while there. =)

4. Juanita also requests prayer for her friend's uncle.

In Closing

Here is a quote Andrea submitted. I like it. =)

"Lean on ME, lean hard. I will bear you up. MY arm shall never fail you. It shall be strong to support you over all the rough and difficult places. Only make ME your trust and you shall be guided safely and upheld firmly." {Ellen White, 2SM 260.4}. Your loving Savior, Jesus

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever.”

2 Peter 3:18

Your friend in His service,

~*Heather*~

Glimpse from the Lighthouse Newsletter No. 26

Glimpse From The Lighthouse

~Trust~

No. 26 May 31, 2009

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, and 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

redeem us from all iniquity,

and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,

zealous of good works.

Titus 2:11-14

From Me to You

Dear Friends in Christ,

Hello everyone!!! I am sorry it's been SO long since I sent out a newsletter! I have been too busy, I guess. I will try to do it more often. =) I hope you're all doing well and enjoying SPRING!! I am.

I went on the Young Disciple mission trip in February... It was sooo wonderful! Being gone for 5 weeks really threw me behind in e-mails and letters, so that's probably why I haven't done a newsletter! Besides the fact that I was really busy trying to finish school, etc! Then there are all the other little aspects of life, and they just combine to make me really busy. But I have some more time now! :)

I have changed the "layout" of the newsletter a little bit! I hope you like it. From now on, I think I'll have one theme around which I plan everything, instead of just a study and then some other things... I'm trying to make it a little more focused. Anyway... I am open to suggestions. :)

So our theme this week is "Trust." More precisely, trust in God. I think that so few of us trust God like we could - like we should. Like He wants us to! In this world with so much deception and despair, it can be hard to learn to trust. It can be difficult to know whom we can trust, and who will let us down. But God will NEVER let us down! We can always trust Him - with everything!!

I remember when I was younger, I had complete trust in my mother. If she said something, I didn't question it. If my sister and I wanted to know if some old food in the refrigerator was safe to eat, and Mom said it was, then I trusted her without doubt. If Mom was driving the car, I felt safe (it wasn't always that way with Dad!). It's interesting to look back and see how explicitly I trusted her.

We should all trust God that way, the way a young child trusts his parents. We should entrust all we have to Him, and not question His dealings.

May we all grow to trust Him more today! :)

Your friend in Him,
Heather

Thought on Trust

As I was thinking about trust in God this week, one story that came to mind was that of Job. Job trusted God. He had so many horrible things happen to him, yet he didn’t lose his faith. He said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…. He also shall be my salvation” (Job 13:15-16). He knew that God had his best interest in mind, and whatever God allowed must be for a good reason. Job said, “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). He goes on to say how he has followed God. He was afraid, but he still trusted God. We also can have this confidence. If we are right with God, then we can know that whatever happens, it is for our own good. We can entrust our wills, our lives, our possessions, our all, to God. And we can be sure that the trials He may send will just strengthen us in Him, if we let them.

Quotes

“[God] will more than fulfill the expectations of those who trust fully in Him.”

-Ellen White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 513

“When God's workers allow His Spirit to work upon their minds, much will be accomplished in the saving of souls. The Lord is our helper. He will guide us in all matters if we will trust in Him. One thing is certain: We must have faith in God--faith that He will arrange matters in a way that will enable us to work successfully. No one ever trusted God in vain. He will never disappoint those who put their trust in Him.”

-Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, vol, 9, p. 213

From Scripture

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee:

because he trusteth in Thee.

Trust ye in the Lord for ever:

for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

-Isaiah 27:3-4

“As for God, His way is perfect:

the word of the LORD is tried:

He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.”

-Psalm 18:30

“Oh how great is Thy goodness,

which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee;

which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!”

-Psalm 31:19

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:

for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song;

He also is become my salvation.”

-Isaiah 12:2

Poem Corner

“His Touch”

He folds me in His loving arms,

His warm embrace soothes all my pain.

I rest within His strength so true,

In Him I’ve nothing to complain.

I feel His presence very near,

Surrounding me with warmth of love.

He calms my weary, care-worn nerves,

And gives me strength that’s from above.

He lifts me up in His great love.

He gives me courage for each day,

And brings about a change in me

That’s like a bright new dawning day.

Praises

1. I am happy it is finally really feeling hot and summery over here! =)

2. I’m thankful for the little things God does for us… things that are small, yet important to us. I’ve enjoyed seeing Him work some little miracles for me this week!

Please Pray…

1. Angela requests prayer for her Dad's family, that she can be a witness to them and they will come to know the truth.

2. Please pray for an anonymous friend of mine who needs God’s working in her life.

3. Pray for Ashley and her family – they are in Peru on a mission trip.

In Closing

Well, that’s all for now! I’ll try to do another newsletter pretty soon, maybe not every week, but I’ll see what I can do. Now, I am taking submissions for future issues!! So, please feel free to send me poems, songs, stories or personal experiences with good spiritual applications, object lessons, Bible verses or spiritual quotes you want to share, prayer requests, praises, or anything else you think is appropriate. :) You can suggest themes too, because I don’t have any planned. Thanks to those who helped with this newsletter! I really appreciate it. :)

Have a most wonderful week, everyone, and stay strong in Christ!!!

With love,

~*Heather*~

Newsletter Issue #25

Dear Friends in Christ,
Hi everyone! How are you all? I'm doing fine. I have been pretty busy lately! I leave for the Philippines in 8 days! So this is probably the last newsletter I'll be doing for awhile. Sorry about the delay! I get back home on March 24th. Currently it's snowing here... hmm. I thought spring had started to come. Oh well! We did have some nice sunny days that felt like spring though! Yesterday I went cross-country skiing with my dad, sister, and some friends, and it was tons of fun! =)
Okay, thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this newsletter! Feel free to send things in for the next one!! It'll be in March or April, I guess, so you have lots of time! Don't procrastinate too much though. =) (Do as I say not as I do!! Haha)
I hope you all have a wonderful day in Christ. :) Blessings!!

Love,
your friend in Christ,
Heather

~*Glimpse From The Lighthouse*~
February 9 ,20098 Number 25

~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:

"Above All Else"

I have a little frame on my desk that says "Above all else, guard your heart" (Proverbs 4:23). In the King James Version this verse says "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." This really is of utmost importance! We must guard our hearts at all costs, above all else. I've been realizing more and more how important our thoughts and motives are, NOT just our actions. I used to think that being a true Christian meant getting all the actions just right. But now I see that true Christianity isn't about actions at all! It's about a relationship with Jesus and allowing Him to change our heart so we truly want to do what is right. Then we will love and serve Him with our hearts, and right actions will follow.

I have also very recently realized that it does matter to God what we think about and cherish in our hearts. I thought sin was actions like lying, physical violence, adultery, etc... I guess I thought I could think about whatever I wanted, as long as it was hidden in my heart. But lately I've been thinking more about it and I see that that is NOT the case. Hidden thought-sins could actually be even more dangerous than outward sins! We must be aware of what is going on in our heart and mind, where no one else can see, and make sure it is pleasing to God. Even if no one else can, He sees our deepest thoughts and desires, even better than we can. Psalm 44:21 says God "knoweth the secrets of the heart." Revelation 2:23 says "... I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one according to your works." [If anyone knows what 'reins' means, feel free to enlighten me. =)]

If our heart is cherishing evil or worldly thoughts, then they will eventually contaminate our whole character. Proverbs 23:7 says "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Our thoughts are the basis of everything else and if our heart is not right, we cannot go to heaven. Ps. 24:3-5 says "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart... He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

We must guard our hearts very carefully, and try to keep out every evil influence. We need to pray, like David, "Create in me a clean heart, O God..." ~Ps. 51:10

And here's a quote by E. G. White that I really really like! "Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul." Christ's Object Lessons, page 159 :)

Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray for the YD Mission trip to the Philippines! =) 2. Please pray for everyone else that we each will be able to stand firm for Jesus no matter what....

OK! Now time for the hymns.

Ashley:

"My favorite hymn is "Sound the Battle Cry" I like that song because it calls all to the work for the cause of God, and that we _will_ be victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ! I like the whole song, but if I pick a favorite quotation from it it would be:
Sound the battle cry!
See! the foe is nigh!
Raise the standard high
For the Lord:
Gird your armor on,
Stand firm ev'ry one;
Rest your cause upon his holy Word.

Katie:
"My favorite hymn is #573, 'I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" by Mary Brown. I like it because it talks about mission work, and I would like to be a missionary someday. I'm not sure what my favorite verse is, but I really like verse 2, because it shows how I can be a kind of missionary at home. It says,

Perhaps today there are loving words,

Which Jesus would have me speak.

There may be now, in the paths of sin,

Some wand'rer whom I should seek.

O Savior, if thou wilt be my Guide,

Tho' dark and rugged the way,

My voice shall echo the message sweet,

I'll say what you wamt me to say.

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;

I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,

I'll be what You want me to be."

Angela:

"My favorite song is probably "Thank You for Giving to the Lord". The reason for this is that it talks about when we get to heaven how people will come and thank us for what we did to reach them for Jesus. Like one part says that you were that person's Sabbath school teacher and how because of that he/she was in heaven. I can't put it into words. You just need to hear the song for yourself. It is really blessing to me since it shows me that all the time and effort I put into evangelism is really worth it!! One favorite hymn I enjoy would have to be "Rescue the Perishing". It is special because it talks about reaching people for the Lord. "

Jessica:

My favorite hymns are "A Mighty Fortress is our God", "Live out Thy Life Within Me", and "I Shall See the King".

Brenna:
"I was in the beautiful University Church here in Walla Walla this past Sabbath, playing in the orchestra. One of the hymns we played and sang was "Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent". I like that first line a lot. My mom told me that when she was a little girl in her home church, they would always sing this one before prayer. She said that then the whole sanctuary was quiet, and you could almost imagine the angels folding their wings in reverence. So, this hymn has a lot of meaning to me, as it really brings it all into perspective as to what worship is all about. It isn't the feeling you get or the energy you get out of singing or playing, rather it is honoring and praising our Lord, our God, the Creator of this Universe for what he did to save us from our state of sinfulness. This hymn is a solemn, reverent, and humbling reminder to me that though we were not worthy, He went through terrible suffering just to ransom this little dirtball of a planet. It boggles my mind. I mean, think about it!!! There are billions, trillions, maybe quadzillions of other planets out there!!! We measure space by light years!! It just amazes me beyond measure every time I hear this hymn. I love it, and if you aren't familiar with it, I hope you all grow to love it as much as I."

Me:

I think my favorite hymn is "So Send I You". I really like it because it talks about reaching the lost, and the missions God has for us here on earth, and His presence being with us, etc... I just love the whole song and it says a lot! My favorite verses are

"So send I you, My strength to know in weakness,

My joy in grief, My perfect peace in pain.

To prove My power, My grace, My promised Presence. So send I you, eternal fruit to gain.

So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred, to eyes made blind, because they will not see...

So send I you, to bear My cross with patience, and then some day with joy to lay it down!

To hear My voice, Well done, My faithful servant! Come share My throne, My Kingdom, and My crown."

Okay, I think that is all! God bless you all and have a wonderful week!!!