NEW LIFE !
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
GOT LIFE A Beautiful Story
YOU NEED TO DENY YOURSELF Scripture setting: Matthew 16:24-28; 1 Peter 2:21-25. Scripture text: Matthew 16:24; 1 Peter 2:21 The reason why people hurt themselves is because they are not denying themselves. When people do not deny themselves they are essentially denying God. It is said that if you deny yourself, you are to follow Jesus. Matthew 16:24 states, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Jesus left us an example, meaning we are to follow His steps. 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” Jesus had committed himself to Him that judged righteously (1 Peter 2:23) It is said that man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directs his steps
(Proverbs 16:9). When you follow the steps of the Lord you are basically denying yourself and following after Jesus. It is better that we deny ourselves because if we do not then He will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12 reads, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.” Sometimes we want what God wants us to have but the thing is was want to do it, and go about it OUR way! We are told that we will be cursed if we trust in man. Jeremiah 17:5 reads, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” However, we will be blessed if we put our trust in the Lord. Jeremiah 17:7 tells us, “Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.”
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On the last Sunday of February, 2015 I made a challenge to those in attendance (especially the parents) at the morning service at New Life to learn something new about the contributions of Blacks in American History, and share it with the younger generation. Of course that meant I had to also go on my own personal quest to learn something new. For me, I wanted to learn about other cultures as well, since our family’s heritage is as diverse as the nation in which we live. It all started with a special edition of USA Today I picked up in Florida the night before that Sunday. After leaving it in the shuttle van that took me to the airport at 4am Sunday morning, I found myself franticly trying to find another copy at both the Orlando and Dallas airport. But sadly, to no avail. I arrived in Houston around 9:30 am sad, almost in tears, because if there is Continue on page 3
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