by John Carpenter | Mar 15, 2022 | Miscellaneous
Well, dear ones, we are beginning once again on another new camp season here at Del-Haven. Please keep urgently praying with us that we have no problem(s) in going forward with having regular camp sessions. Sheri consistently has inquiries from some children in regard to exactly this! We have been working hard at getting the campground cleaned up and ready regular camps as well. Please pray that our Lord and Savior will open the door and lead the way for His choice as to what children He will send – and as to whom will be willing to help out on our Staff (both male and female).
We will once again be having regular Saturday Work Days – beginning in April – and running all the way to Saturday the 4th of June. That being the case, of course, we will be happy to accommodate anyone, or any group, that can come out at any time to help us get the buildings and grounds fit and ready for camp. Just give us an advance call…our number is at the top of the previous page.
Also, we have lost our regular connection to a Van rental company. So, if any of you know of any Church or person that can help us with transportation of children – to and from camp sessions – please let us know. Our camps begin on Monday morning and end on Thursday afternoon. We have the Monday morning pickup at 10 AM and the Thursday drop off at 2 PM. We typically have camps beginning the 3rd week of June (Mon. through Thurs.) every week except the week of the 4th of July. This means we could fit 6 camps in by the end of July. If any person or church could help us with transporting children on any of those Mondays or Thursdays – that would be wonderful! Please pray with us for the meeting of this need. Thank you.
To put it mildly – We are excited at the prospects of being able to have regular camp sessions once again! If things work out to this end – you just might hear a very hardy Praise to the Lord(!) coming from the area of Lone Jack, MO!
by John Carpenter | Mar 15, 2022 | Devotional
(2)“For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus – hath made me free from – the law of sin and death.(3)For what the law could not do – in that it was weak through the flesh – God – sending His own Son – in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us – who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” [Ro.8:2-4]
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth – that shall he also reap! (8) For he that soweth to his flesh – shall of the flesh reap corruption – but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting!” [Gal.6:7-8]
Due to that which the Lord Jesus has accomplished on our behalf through His atoning work as our eternal Surety and Substitute – let us now meditate on what impact the Word of God declares this wonderful work of Christ will have in our walking through this fallen-in-sin world. Once again, let’s go to the Word of God to get the explanation; after all, “Scripture does interpret Scripture”.
Ro.6:4 plainly describes: “Therefore, we are buried with Him (i.e. Christ Jesus) by baptism into death – that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father – we also should walk – in newness of Life!” What is this “newness of Life” talking about? It is talking about Regeneration! It is talking about having been born from above – by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God – whom Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate prayed to God the Father for Him to send unto us. Just as Jn.14:16-17 says: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter (viz. the Holy Spirit) that He may abide with you forever; (17) the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not – neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him – for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” This is the personal — true and genuine spiritual quickening experience that all the elect of God will have! The Holy Spirit of God bears personal witness with the spirit of His true children that they, indeed, are in and a part, of His Holy Family! [see: Ro.8:16-17; 1Jn.3:23-24 and 4:13] The “newness of Life” that is spoken of in Ro.6:4 is the same as what the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write about in 2Pe.1:3-4> “As His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto Life and Godliness – through the (full-) knowledge of Him (Christ Jesus) that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) whereby (or, through whom) are given (or, have been bestowed) unto us exceeding great and precious promises – that by these ye might be partakers (or, sharers) of the Divine Nature (of Jesus Christ) having escaped the corruption (or, the spontaneous decay) that is in the world through lust.” This is the “exceeding greatness” of the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Walking in the “newness of Life” in Christ and being “partakers of the Divine Nature” of Christ is what it means in the Gal.6:7-8 text above when it describes “he that soweth to the Spirit – shall of the Spirit reap – Life Everlasting”. And, this is all actively accomplished for us — by and through the Lord Jesus Christ – because we are His “called and chosen and faithful”! [see: Rev.17:14] All of this teaching from the Word of God portrays for us the true believer’s active following of the Lord Jesus Christ – and not the Law! As Gal.2:16 says: “knowing that a man is Not justified by the works of the law – but by the Faith of Jesus Christ; even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ – and Not by the works of the law – for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Praise His Wonderful Name!
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Feb 18, 2022 | Camp News
Well, dear ones, we are definitely in the midst of “winter-in-the-woods” here at Del-Haven! It is beautiful – and quiet! God’s glorious creation magnificently manifests itself in all of its different seasons…and that includes winter. The sense of solitude with its silence invites meditation upon the greatness of our absolutely sovereign creator God. Praise His Holy Name!
1Cor.:15:58 encourages us by saying: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord – forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain – in the Lord.” With that in mind, dear fellow prayer warriors, please do not become complacent in remembering to pray for all our camper/children – along with all of our staff and their helpers. Do not ever forget that God’s Word teaches us that pure gospel preaching is made effectual through our constant saturation of it with all our prayers! We pray for our staff and campers before we even see the boys and girls that our Lord sends to camp for us to present to them the wonderful news of the gospel of God’s grace. And, we continue to pray for them after they leave us and return to their different home and school environments. This is what they really need! In fact, this is what we really need as well.
Please do not forget to pray that we may be able to once again be allowed — without restrictions, to return to holding regular camp weeks once again! Our sovereign God can do anything! Things seem to be loosening up a bit. We hope to be able to venture back into a regular camp program. We pray that we will successfully be able to do so. Your faithful prayerful support is much appreciated. We love you – and we pray for you all as well. We thank our Lord for all He does for us through you!
Also, for all of you that have faithfully donated to Del-Haven in 2021 – annual receipts have been mailed out. If any of you have not received a receipt for what you have given – or, if you have — and there is an error of some kind – please do not hesitate to bring it to our attention so we can get the matter corrected. You can call us at (816) 425-0460.
by John Carpenter | Feb 18, 2022 | Devotional
(2)“For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus – hath made me free from – the law of sin and death.(3)For what the law could not do – in that it was weak through the flesh – God – sending His own Son – in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us – who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” [Ro.8:2-4]
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth – that shall he also reap! (8) For he that soweth to his flesh – shall of the flesh reap corruption – but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting!” [Gal.6:7-8]
To pick up where we left off last month – we are looking at what the “Law of sin and death” refers to. Once again – let’s look at how scripture interprets scripture. The Holy Spirit from 2Cor.3:7-8 says: “But if the Ministration of death – written and engraven in stones was glorious – so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which (glory) was to be done away: (8) How shall not the Ministration of the Spirit – exceed in glory!”
So, therefore, from the Ro.8:2-4 text the Holy Spirit of the Holy Word of God contrasts the “Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” with that which He calls the “Law of sin and death”. And, from the 2Cor.3 text He is comparing the same two by calling the one “the Ministration of death” and the other “the Ministration of the Spirit”! These two different texts interpret and expand each other! Praise the Holy Spirit of the Holy Word of God!
It is obvious that the “Law of sin and death” refers to the “Holy, just and good Law of God” [see: Rom.7:12] that was delivered unto Moses on Mt. Sinai by God, Himself! Hence, does Gal.3:19 pose the question: “Wherefore then – the Law?” Or rather: For what purpose did our God give to us His Holy Law? Especially when we are plainly told from Ro.3:19: “Now we know (i.e. we know without a doubt) that what things soever the Law saith (or, whatsoever the Law literally means) it saith (or, it utters; or, it preaches; or, it declares) to them who are under the Law: (or, to them who have been born under, and in, the Law – which includes everybody in the history of fallen humanity) that every mouth may be stopped (or, that every language of every mouth of fallen-in-sin humanity may be silenced) and all the world may become guilty (or, condemned — by the curse of the Law) before God.”
This leads us right up to what is plainly put forth from Ro.3:20 which delivers God’s divine conclusion by saying: “Therefore, by the deeds of the Law – there shall no flesh be justified in His sight”. – Why?! – Because: “for by the Law is the (full) knowledge of sin.” So, you see, the scriptures from here declare the absolute weakness of the “Law of sin and death” to justify our fallen-in-sin flesh – or, to declare before Holy God – us, in our flesh, as being righteous in God’s sight. This is because by God’s Law we can only come to fully know and understand that we are hopeless and helpless sinners! We need God to be our Savior – from God – and ourselves – under “His Holy Just and Good Law”! In other words: We need the Lord Jesus Christ! He is the only Hope that we have of our ever being eternally saved! Praise His Holy Name!
The Lord willing – we shall continue to see how this plays out in our walk through this world.
by John Carpenter | Jan 21, 2022 | Camp News
Well, dear ones, the camp buildings have all been winterized and put to rest as usual this time of year. All is peaceful – except for the sounds an occasional chain saw and maybe a splitting mall. The work around here never ever really stops – it just changes forms. Nevertheless, our seeking the Lord on behalf of the ministry is perpetual. God’s Word tells us from Lk.18:1: “And He (Jesus) spake a parable unto them – to this end – that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” How true this is!
Hence, please do not forget to pray for all our children. Lift them up before our Sovereign Savior and pray for their spiritual and physical welfare and preservation. Satan has been after the children from the beginning of his wicked work in the Garden of Eden! Our Savior has been exalted to be the Head of all principality and power and might and dominion [see: Eph.1:19-21]. And, the devil – has never been – and, even now, is no match for He who Sovereignly rules over him! Praise His Name, our prayers are used by our God – not to change His will – but to accomplish it. This is why we are continually coming to know that it takes a great Savior like this to save any of us! That’s also why we ask, as always, that when you pray for the boys and girls – please do not forget to pray for Del-Haven’s immediate future for 2022 – that we be led of the Lord to be able to have regular camp sessions once again. And, also, include in your prayers — the provision and spiritual stability of our staff and their many helpers.
Also, dear ones, we ask that you pray for Ken Edens. Ken served on the board of Del-Haven for years until he had a stroke which hampered his ability to attend meetings. He has recently suffered another stroke and is once again in the hospital. He seems to be recovering well. Pastor Larry Tennant of Pleasant Grove Bible Church has had to have a quintuple bypass. The Lord has brought him through this event in a marvelous way. We ask that you pray for his complete recovery.
Once again, thank you, dear faithful friends, for your continual encouragement and support – especially during these difficult times. It is wonderful to know that you are there. We love you all and we do pray for you as well – that you all will have a richly blessed New Year.
