by John Carpenter | Mar 17, 2016 | Ministry News
2016 Saturday Work Days
Well, dear ones, in another month we begin our weekly Saturday work days in preparing the campgrounds for our schedule of camps. Please look at the calendar and see if there’s a particular weekend that you, or your group, might be available to come out and help us. Our Saturday work days have become noted for great times of spiritual enrichment and fellowship, as well as a wonderful means to get necessary tasks completed for our camping season. We will provide breakfast and lunch and most of the necessary tools for tackling and completing the jobs. Please pray about these necessary things as we should seek guidance from God in all we do.
by John Carpenter | Mar 17, 2016 | Devotional
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Mt.11:28]
“All that the Father giveth me — shall come to me — and them that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out.” [Jn.6:37]
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him — for he that cometh to God — must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” [He.11:6]
“No man can come unto me — except the Father which hath sent me draw him — and I will raise him up at the last day.” [Jn.6:44]
These four texts of scripture succinctly declare the purity of an important truth of the gospel of the glory, only, of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the most part, many see the activity of “coming to Christ” as a primary and decisive act of the sinner…and it is not. In fact, the last text from Jn.6:44 clearly states that no sinful, fallen man can come to Christ — except the Father (God the Father) draw him! The third text from He.11:6 plainly says that it is impossible to please God in coming to Him as a saved one without true and genuine faith to believe in God and that He is an eternal Savior! The God/man, Christ Jesus, Himself, tells us from Jn.6:37 that all those from out of lost and fallen mankind whom the Father has eternally given to His eternal Son shall come to Him — and all those that do come — He will in no wise cast away from Him.
This, in turn, leaves us with the first text that is commonly purported to be a general worldwide invitation of Christ, Himself, for any and all sinners to come unto Him. However, the context of Mt.11:28 is that of being a command — not an invitation! Jesus is in no way contradicting the specificity of the other three texts, but He is in actuality underscoring and further identifying the ones who truly do come to Him in eternal salvation! They are sinners who have become weary and heavy laden with their constant, inescapable sinfulness and hear the commanding voice of the loving Spirit of Christ summoning them to come to Him for eternal redemption, peace and rest. To their weary and burdened soul this summons is irresistible music to their hearing ears!
As they come to the sound of His powerful voice — out of the mists of darkness into His marvelous light (1Pe.2:9) — He reveals Himself unto them as their personal Savior and Lord who will never ever leave them, or forsake them, or cast them out. Praise His holy Name! He truly becomes to them “the way, the truth, and the life” throughout the time of their life in and through this fallen world. His Word is the only thing that sustains and satisfies their longings — and counsels them all the way until they literally enter into His most glorious presence (Ps.73:24). Indeed, their daily struggles seem to center upon the dark and deadly iniquities that are so prominent where the proclamation of pure gospel truth is concerned (Ps.119:130> “The entrance of thy words giveth light”). His Word is to them a lamp unto their feet; and a light unto their path through this troubled and trying world (Ps.119:105).
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Feb 17, 2016 | Ministry News
Here are appropriate entries from last year’s journal:
08/03/15 “I am sitting in the kitchen waiting for the campers to arrive. This week there are 12 boys scheduled to be here for this session. I have been praying for each one of them as they have been preparing to come here this week. I just found out that Mr. Carpenter accidentally locked his keys in the van, so I’ll have to wait a while longer to meet these kids [whoops!]. I am praying that God opens their ears to listen and their hearts to receive His word.” Isaac R.
08/05/15 “There is an old song titled “God Speaks To Little Boys While They Are Fishing”. We used that song in part of our program when we were trying to raise money to redo the lake. This evening we took the boys fishing. Nathan wanted to catch a fish so bad! Mr. Carpenter was helping him for a while and he prayed “Lord, help this boy catch a fish.” About 10 minutes later he finally caught one. John was getting ready to leave, but he called back to Nathan: “Thank the Lord for letting you catch a fish!” Nathan was overwhelmed…and overjoyed about catching his fish, but I did hear him mumble very lowly: “Thank you”. Nathan is 13 this year and will be allowed to back next year as an LTS (Learning To Serve) helper. Lord, I thank you for continuing to send Nathan to camp for so many years. I pray that you will use this time as an opportunity to draw him to yourself, by your grace and through the power of your word and for your glory alone!”
08/06/15 “I just watched the campers leave on the bus. Nine boys were able to attend and I am so glad that they did. I pray that the spiritual seeds that were planted will grow and mature in the Lord. This has been another great camp season and I hope to come back for another one.” Isaac R.
We hope you do, too, Isaac! Please pray for Isaac as he has been a real God sent asset to our staff. He is a real talented and mature young man. God is using him.
Pray for us, dear ones, and we will pray for all of you. Prayer is the best support that we can possibly give to one another. Pray that our Lord continues to sustain and support Camp Del-Haven – for His glory to the furtherance of His Kingdom.
by John Carpenter | Feb 17, 2016 | Devotional
“Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet be inquired of by the house of Israel — to do it for them. …And they shall know that I am the Lord!” [Ez.36:37-38]
This text describes and articulates a definite immutable divine principle of saving grace that proves just exactly who are the true praying children of God in this fallen and sinful world. Here is a spiritual principle that declares the truth that true Holy Spirit led prayer always accomplishes God’s will, but never changes it. There is a foreboding misconception that has been propagated that prayer changes things — and it doesn’t. It accomplishes things! Jas.5:16 states it plain and clear, that: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man — availeth [or, accomplishes] much.”
When God moves His eternally loved and chosen ones to seek Him in prayer, He summons them by His Holy Spirit into His holy presence. They come before His sovereign overruling throne of grace where He allows them to take part in His fulfilling what He has eternally purposed to do and perform by His children’s prayers. If indeed anything is notably changed by their prayers — it is the child of God, himself, through whom the Holy Spirit causes the prayer to be uttered. The immediate providential things that make up our circumstances are going play out exactly as they are supposed to — all in accordance with the sovereign plan of God. It is our immediate circumstances that make up the unfolding reality of almighty God’s immutable (unchangeable) will. Praise His all glorious and mighty Name!
The main thing we should remember in the light of this principle of grace is that it is all important in the life and walk of a true child of God through this fallen world to do as the Word of God commands to do when it says to: “Pray without ceasing!” For to do (and be) what the will of God wants cannot be accomplished without Holy Spirit led prayer. Lk.18:1 says: “Men ought always to pray and not to faint!” A life and walk through this sinful, fallen world that is saturated with prayer, is saturated with life converting and transforming enabling grace.
After Saul of Tarsus had his life transforming Damascus road encounter and divine reckoning with the Lord Jesus Christ, Ananias was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to go to him. The Lord assured him that it was safe for him to go because He told him: “For behold he prayeth!” It is spiritually born from above into the very fabric of the regenerated character of the true believing sinner to know themselves to be so hopelessly helpless in themselves that they naturally become – in and through this world – ardent, earnest prayer warriors before Christ’s throne of sovereign over-ruling grace. This is what the Holy Spirit makes them to be to the glory, only, of almighty God! The child of God continually comes up against impossible opposition in this age of sin and Satan and death and they prayerfully, through Christ, prevail as champions and victors! And, they gladly give all the glory unto Him who called them out of this world’s darkness into His marvelous light. Praise His holy Name!
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Feb 9, 2016 | Ministry News
The 2016 Volunteer Applications and Camper Applications can be found by selecting the [Camp] tab at the top of the page.
