by John Carpenter | Apr 27, 2019 | Camp News
Praise the Lord!, dear friends, Spring is Here! The birds are singing – and what a wonderful thing it is to hear them when the dawn of a new day is breaking! Praise the Name of the Lord!
This time of year is always a busy, busy time. There is much that needs to be done just to be ready. The campgrounds need to be cleaned up. Dead trees need to be cleared. Repairs need to be done on the cabins, the craft building and the dormitory – all before the first campers arrive. Every camp season it is the same old routine…and, this will mark our 67th season! As always, please pray for us that all the proper preparation gets done.
More than that, however, we need your continual prayers for the Spirit of the Lord to be preparing the hearts and minds of all the youngsters that He will send to Del-Haven to hear the pure saving truth of the gospel of the glory, only, of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ!
This naturally means also praying for each of us that will be announcing the “Good News” unto them. We covet your continual prayers for the Lord to send us well-prepared staff members (both male and female) to serve on the front line for the Lord during each of our camp sessions. The ministry of Del-Haven is as much focused upon them as it is to the children. To God be the glory!
Our first work day (April 6th) will have already happened by the time this prayer/newsletter reaches you. Every Saturday beginning with the month of April is an open invitation to any and all whom the Spirit of God motivates to want to help us get things accomplished and ready for the summer. If you as an individual or with a group want to give a few hours of your time to help us – give us a call [816-690-8465] and come on out. We welcome the fellowship and the help!
by John Carpenter | Apr 27, 2019 | Devotional
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain – as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” “For even hereunto were ye called – because Christ also suffered for us – leaving us an example that ye should follow in His steps – who did no sin – neither was guile found in His mouth.” [Hos.6:3; 1Pe.2:21-22]
A wonderful Bible teacher named, J.C. Philpot, so aptly wrote: “There is one feature in true religion perhaps not much insisted upon, but not the less real and genuine; which is this, that all true religion brings the soul into vital and immediate contact with God. False religion – on the other hand – only sets the soul at a distance from Him.” He goes on to say: “the saints of God breathe forth their desires after the Lord.” Then, a little later he concludes by saying: “In opposition to this – there is no mark stamped upon false religion more evidently and plainly than this in that it sets up a false god – an idol god – not perhaps a wood or stone representation – but a god adapted to the carnal mind – suitable to the natural heart – in a word, such a god as we see in all ages – blind, fallen man has worshipped. Thus, were you to analyze and examine all false religion – whatever its name or nature – you would find this feature stamped upon it, that it set up a false god for the true God – a false faith for true faith – and a false righteousness for a true righteousness – and thus worships an imaginary – an idol god – instead of the true and living God – the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.” In regards to these things, Philpot ultimately says: “Now we may be well assured, that nothing short of the work and teaching of God in the heart can ever pull down this false god – and set up in its place, ‘the only true God and Jesus Christ – whom He hath sent.’ [Jn.17:3] ”
These observations by Philpot (1802-1869) are amazingly relevant to true believing sinners today! And, this is precisely what our text above from Hosea 6 is talking about. Sinners-saved-by-grace who have been quickened by the Holy Spirit and regenerated by a revelation of the Truth of the Word of God. It is these — who have truly received – by the grace of God – a genuine love of the pure Truth of the gospel of the glory, only, of the Lord Jesus Christ (2Th.2:10). And, it is these – that are the ones who are being referred to by the 1st person plural pronoun “we” in Hos.6:3, when it says: “Then shall we know…”. In addition, this divine clarification is even further “pin-pointed” and described by the next phrase: “if we follow on to know the Lord”!
There are whole lifetimes of following Christ that are being described in this one phrase! This is referring to the same thing that Ro.8:14 descriptively declares when it says: “As many as – are led by the Spirit of God – they – are the sons of God”. And, who exactly are the “many”? The same as referred to from Acts 13:48: “As many as – were ordained to eternal life – believed”. These are the same that are also being described from Eph.2:10: “For we are His workmanship – created in Christ Jesus – unto good works which God hath before ordained – that we should walk in them.”
Truly following in the footsteps of Christ our Lord – is – growing in grace, “and in the knowledge” of Him — as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – as we go! [2Pe.3:18] So, when we are being led by the Spirit of God, we can be assured that – by God’s saving grace – we shall be constantly “going” and “growing” — according to His will and plan to save us! Praise His Name!
We shall be looking even more closely to that which Hos.6:3 means when it says: “His going forth is prepared as the morning”; and also: “He shall come unto as the rain”.
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Mar 18, 2019 | Camp News
Our Saturday work days will start the first Saturday in April. If you, or a group from your church or organization, would like to help with one of the many projects around camp, just give us a call. There are projects for all different skill levels and there are projects that don’t require any skill at all. Thank you.
by John Carpenter | Mar 18, 2019 | Camp News
Well, dear friends and family in Christ – by the time you receive this month’s prayer/newsletter we will be much closer to Springtime (if not already in it). That is always a wonderful thing! Winter, it seems, is always pretty much a time of year that we are glad is over. Thank you, Lord.
We’re just a month away from beginning, once again, with our April Saturday work days in order to prepare for another season of camps. There is always much – physically speaking — that needs cleaning, fixing and straightening up before we start bringing the boys and girls onto the campground. Our Lord and Savior tells us to cast all our cares upon Him – because He cares for us – so please include all the maintenance tasks that need to be completed in your praying for us. Thank you.
Some potentially really good news is that a couple of churches have called and requested us to schedule a visit with them to speak to their young people’s classes about maybe helping us on staff for this summer. This open door to do that is, indeed, an answer to all our prayers! Thank you, Lord! Please continue to pray with us that we may successfully recruit some good candidates for both boy and girl helpers. It is so exciting – and so encouraging – when this sort of thing happens. Once again, Thank you, Lord!
Also, some responses through the internet have already come to us from campers who want to come to camp this year. Please – especially – remember to pray for all the children whom our Lord will send to Camp Del-Haven this year! Pray that He prepares their hearts to sit under sound teaching of the pure truth of the gospel of the glory, only, of the Lord Jesus Christ. All our efforts to “evangelize” the souls that the Savior sends to us – will be completely fruitless without the Holy Spirit of God going before us and directing our path; and it is He that leads His people to earnestly and prayerfully seek Him to do so. He does it all! This is why you all are so important to us! Once again – remember – God has orchestrated it so that this ministry was founded on prayer – and it has been sustained for 6+ decades by prayer! Thank you, dear ones, for your faithfulness in praying with us and for us. We love you…and we pray for you as well.
by John Carpenter | Mar 18, 2019 | Devotional
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more – unto the perfect day.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain – as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” [Pr.4:18; 1Jn.1:9; Hos.6:3]
The first text above declares the sure and certain – even the predestined – path through this fallen world – that is being followed by all of those that God the Father has given to His eternal, beloved Son — for Him to be both, “just – and the justifier of him – which believeth in Jesus” [Ro.3:26] Every true – “born from above” child of God has been, by the sovereign grace of Christ, delivered from “all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish” and have genuinely received “the love of the truth, that they might be saved”[2Th.2:10]. The “path” of the just – is a path that is divinely illumined in “the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”! [2Co.4:6] The ongoing prayer of our hearts becomes that which is written in Ps.25:4-5: “Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me. For thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”
The second text above declares the announcement of a descriptive “if” clause that reveals a divinely induced and motivated pure gospel reception and reaction. This descriptive declaration is something that happens to us by virtue of a divine “cause and effect” reality.
The Word of God makes it clear that we all – without exception – come into being in this world being active lying transgressors from our mother’s womb! [see Is.48:8 and Ps.58:3] Nevertheless, by the gracious work of God the Holy Spirit – effectively using the holy Word of God – we are made to see the sinners that we truly are – and we are granted God’s grace of repentance – and our hearts become broken and contrite — due to the reality of our sins – and we, therefore, “confess our sins” (or, say the same thing that God does about our sins unto Him). God does all this to us — for us (for our good). Therefore, we – by His enabling grace – fulfill that which is spoken of from Phil.2:12-13: We“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you – both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Then comes to pass the divinely initiated and instituted cause and effect reaction that this text describes: We confess our sins – and “…God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins – and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Praise His Name! We most definitely want to be regarded by God in this world as His faithful “confessors”.
Then we come to the third text – which actually describes, once again, the genuine leading of the Spirit of God as we live and walk through this sinful world [Ro.8:14]. We shall not be able – at this juncture — to sufficiently mine all the rich treasures that are being put forth in this particular verse in Hosea. So, we will reserve doing so with next month’s prayer letter. But, for now let us attempt to make just a couple of simple, sound observations. In keeping with the other two texts – along with what we have already said in conjunction with them: What may we therefore conclude? Right at the very outset, the answer to this question is obviously going to be in the same vein that we have been looking at in the last couple of month’s newsletters. Where are we right now as far as being led through this fallen-in-sin world? Are we being led astray by the error of the Wicked? Or, are we being led by God the Holy Spirit? [2Pe.3:17; Ro.8:14] Let’s examine this further in next month’s prayer letter… Amen
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
