by John Carpenter | Aug 24, 2014 | Devotional
“My presence shall go with thee — and I will give thee rest.” “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me — for I am meek and lowly in heartThese three texts are cohesively connected to one another in that they each describe a close personal relationship with our Lord. A relationship that only He can initiate. A relationship that He has purposed to exist between us from everlasting — because He is everlasting! A relationship that is ear-marked with genuine “rest”.
The Exodus passage comes right out of the context of when Moses was afraid that the task — the commission — the vocation that he was called by God to complete with his life — he could not do by himself. From Ex.33:12-13 Moses said to the Lord, “See — thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people — and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me! Yet, thou hast said — I know thee by name — and thou hast also found grace in my sight! Now, therefore, I pray thee — if I have found grace in thy sight — show me, now, thy way — that I may know thee — that I may find grace in thy sight — and consider that this nation is thy people!” It is at this juncture that the Lord spoke unto Moses the blessed words of Ex.33:14. This becomes the divine seal of the close personal relationship that our Lord initiates with each and every one of His eternally loved and chosen ones. Just knowing that this exists between us and Him — delivers to us — even bestows upon us — blessed rest in Him.
Jesus taught this from Mt.11:29-30. To have the “yoke” of Christ graciously put upon us — is to become closely tied to the will of the Lord — even to be united with Him. He is meek and lowly in heart — and so are we then humbled and subservient to His leading, keeping and providing. His yoke is easy — because it commands us to love Him — and to trust Him — which, by His grace, we already do. And, it is in this that we find “rest” — because in Him we know we are eternally safe and secure.
The truth of Mt.11:29 is entered into from the irresistible obedient response to His command for us to “come” to Him from Mt.11:28. Jesus issues to all of His “weary and heavy laden” ones — not an invitation, or an offer — but an irresistible command for them to “come” to Him — for “rest”. We come — because we are drawn to do so by God the Father’s everlasting love and mercy and grace [Jer.31:3; Jn.6:44-45]. We come out of the darkness of our tombs of spiritual death — right into His Light and Life — where we find in Him — and in Him, alone — that we have true “rest” for our souls. Our whole lives — and the way that we live and walk through this fallen world — are, henceforth, made new according to the close personal relationship that we have with our Lord. In Him we abide. In His “yoke” we abide. In His “rest” we abide. Under His leadership and grace we abide. And, it’s only natural that our walk through this world should reflect his abiding, leading, providing “presence”. Praise His Name!
— and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy — and my burden is light.” “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself, also, so to walk — even as He walked.” Ex.33:14; Mt.11:29-30; 1Jn.2:6
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Jul 5, 2014 | Ministry News
Praises and Prayer Requests
Well, dear friends and family in Christ, we have had — thus far — two wonderful camps. They both went very well — the gospel of the glory of Christ having been given and there not occurring any real trial, or difficulty. In short, our prayers for God’s presence and protection have been answered! Thank you — and please continue to pray for us!
Also — all our prayers — yours and ours — for God’s timely provision is also proving to be heard by our Savior. The Food Pantry of Faith In Christ Fellowship Church in Oak Grove, MO has been a continual source of year round supply for us — along with the annual food showers from our long time friends of Crest Bible Church, who collected over 600 cans of food this year, and Forest Grove Baptist Church. And then there are our friends from Strasburg Church — whom the Lord sends to us with specific things that we always have need of. The Lord is so rich toward us through these precious friends in being able to physically feed the children that He sends to Del-Haven — so that we can spiritually feed them. Praise His Name! This is the evidence of the outworking of the indwelling Spirit. We thank the Lord of heaven and earth for His bountiful provision and supply!
We have the busiest part of our camp season coming right upon us. Therefore, your prayers and gifts are much needed to see us through the rest of the way. Please keep on keeping on in prayerfully lifting us all up before the throne of grace. Pray for the children that God sends to us — as well as the staff that will be ministering to them. May our Lord and Master be pleased to continue to guide, protect and provide — as only He can do. Thanks for being there.
by John Carpenter | Jul 5, 2014 | Devotional
“Whereunto I also labor — striving according to His working — which worketh in me mightily!” “For it is God that worketh in you — both — to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Col.1:29; Phil.2:13
Any and every true ministry and service for Christ is literally performed in complete accordance with the enabling grace of God by virtue of the indwelling Spirit of God.
The first text above comes from a context that directly involves preaching the pure truth of the everlasting gospel. Preaching, warning and teaching — in all wisdom — so that there may be presented many wonderful souls that have been found to have been made “perfect in Christ Jesus” ! It is to this end that the faithful minister “strives” — or, struggles, contends, or endeavors to accomplish. That’s why we strive after this manner — “according to His working — which worketh in us mightily!” He does it! The second text serves to echo this very same reality. In fact, it is the same word in the original that is translated as “worketh” that is used in both descriptions. This outward working — of willing and doing the good pleasure of the Lord God — is the evidence of His divine, soul quickening, life transforming — indwelling presence in our lives.
It is His performance — in us and through us — that does it all! It is His efficiency that continues to maintain the ministry that He has placed us in — even for the meeting of all the endless, mundane tasks that need to be routinely accomplished in and throughout its entire operation in this fallen world. It is in conjunction with His divine strength and power that provides all the ability for His servants to be able to endure all the hardships — all the troubles — and all the difficulties that become an integral part — of all the demands that are involved in the ministry we are called to do while we are here. And, all these demands — and all that’s a part of their accomplishment — will indeed be many! For God’s true servants — are also His true soldiers upon the blood soaked battlefield that this world represents.
So we press on in our labors — realizing that our God, our Savior, the Captain of our faith — has positioned us — at any given moment — precisely where He wants us on the battlefield of this world. That which He wills for us to be — and that which He wills for us to do — will ultimately be exactly what He has ordained for us to be and do. It is coming to know and realize this truth — which keeps us humble before Him and which also gives us strength to carry on until He — and He, alone, changes things — or, takes us home to be forever with Him.
Only then may we be able to boldly say along with the apostle Paul: “But by the grace of God — I am what I am! And, His grace which was bestowed upon me — was not in vain — but I labored more abundantly than they all — yet not I — but the grace of God which was with me.” He gets all the glory — that’s the way it should be!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Jun 20, 2014 | Camp News
Well, at the time of the writing of this newsletter — we are just days from the first camp of 2014. Please be in earnest prayer to our Lord Jesus for His direct involvement in the presentation of the gospel of His glory. He is the true evangelist!
Thank you so much for your continual support of Del-Haven through your prayers and help and gifts. You all know who you are — and you are loved and appreciated! Without your help — we could not do this. You are an answer to our continual prayers! We praise the Lord in a special way for you!
We have a wonderful staff of young people that the Lord has sent to us to be a part of the labor of love that this ministry truly is. Our staff training week was a rich time in planning, fellowship and getting into the Word. “Storm” the throne of grace on their behalf — beseeching the Almighty for their protection, provision and guidance! The enemy will attack. We are not ignorant of his devices. They…we… need your prayerful support to be delivered from the fiery darts of Satan.
Prayerfully lift up, also, all the boys and girls that are divinely slated to enter into the hearing of the gospel. How wonderful it is to understand that the Word of God reveals that Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me — shall come to me — and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out!” — also — “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me — that of all which He hath given me — I should lose nothing” Pray that our heavenly Father will perform this — His Word and His will — in this coming camp season. Praise His all glorious Name!
by John Carpenter | Jun 20, 2014 | Devotional
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jn.16:33
Jesus spoke this wonderful word of encouragement shortly before He went to the Calvary. When He suffered the affliction of the cross – He endured the worst of conditions for those He came to save.
Although His outward condition was about to become one of unbelievable agony, yet His position was one of unshakable security. Earlier from Jn.14:10-11 He told the disciples that He was “in the Father” and that the things He said and did were not in accordance to His own will, but of the will of the Father. Even so do we have a like relationship with Christ. According to Eph.1:4, we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world!
In Jesus (who is our peace) we have peace; whereas in this world we have tribulation. But, praise His name, Jesus has “overcome the world”.
God’s grace of faith readily receives this Word from God. What an understatement it truly is — that in the world we will have tribulation. Everyday in this world proves the veracity of this declaration, and it is certain that our Lord knew this to be true — more than anyone — when He said it. What He means to convey for the strengthening of our faith is that — although we must endure the tribulation that fills up the conditions of this world — we who are positioned in Him will have peace…because He, the Prince of peace, has overcome this world of tribulation.
“Tribulation” connotes the pressures that we are under on virtually every level of our life. Whereas the word for “peace” communicates the “rest” of our being in union with our Lord. We are, therefore, by grace united with the only one who has indeed “overcome” the world. That is to say that He has subdued it and brought it completely under His reigning control…Hallelujah! It is no wonder, then, that He also encourages us to “be of good cheer” — which literally means that we are to, in Him, be brave and courageous in the presence of all the world’s trials and pressures.
Is.48:10 declares that the Lord has literally chosen and tried His people “in the furnace of affliction”. We are reminded from this passage of the experience of the three Hebrew boys in the midst of the fiery furnace…with the Son of God. They came out — they came through it — without even the odor of smoke on their clothes.
And finally, Acts 14:22 relates to us how Paul and Barnabus went back through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God’.” And, having been positioned in Christ — we cannot fail.
