2012 Donation Receipts
The 2012 donation receipts were also mailed out this week. If you do not receive yours for some reason please let us know.
Prayer Requests
We do have a budding need — it seems — where one of the freezers that we had given to us last year is concerned. It seems to operate — sporadically! So — once again — please be in prayer with us for another — more reliable one — if you will. If you know of anyone — or, any group — that might have one that they might donate to a ministry of the Lord — please let us know: (816) 690-8565 or, (816) 774-4128.
As ever and always — please do not forget to be in continual prayer for our ever changing summer staff. We know that we will be having to replace some of our regulars this year. Pray that our Lord sends those whom He has willed and purposed to help us. He fosters even our prayers — to the accomplishment of His will.
Also, I think we all know how that our schools have emerged as some of the most dangerous places in our land! In light of the most tragic events that have occurred — if anything — we should be greatly urged to be continually lifting up before our sovereign almighty Lord God — all our children. We should be in unceasing prayer: That God will protect and preserve them from harm — and continue to draw them to Himself — to make of them men and women of God — in the midst of our crooked and perverse nation and generation. This is what we are about — here at Del-Haven.
Thankful for God’s Continued Provisions
Already — high expectations and grand anticipations — have been positively expressed for Del-Haven’s up and coming 2013 summer camp season. In spite of the dramatic moral down turn of our culture and society — we are encouraged by the way that our God continues to answer prayer — in daily meeting our needs. This means that we do not ever forget to thank our Lord God — for all of you — and your faithfulness — in praying for us — and in sending to us your financial support. May we remind you that — every dollar given — goes directly to the needs of this — the Lord’s ministry. The $85,000 loan — which we secured at the bank for the new water lines — and the lake project — has been — by God’s grace — and to God’s glory — paid down to $51,501. We all know how tight and cumbersome the economic times have become. That is why it is literally like a special guiding light from heaven to receive your thoughtful gifts — whenever you can send them. God’s way is truly perfect! [Ps.18:30] And, there is nothing that is too hard for Him. [Je.32:17]
Devotional for January 2013
Wherefore, holy brethren — partakers of the heavenly calling — consider the apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus…” He.3:1
With 2013 having already begun — along with all of the aspirations and resolutions that worldly wisdom promotes to make a positive impact upon a New Year — perhaps the exhortation of this verse should captivate our thoughts and desires. There’s not a more worthy person — than the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ — that could be more profitable for us to seriously consider — than He who is our sovereign/Savior substitute! So, instead of focusing all our attention upon ourselves — and all the vain ways that we feel we could improve ourselves in the coming New Year — let us by the Holy Spirit — look at, and more closely observe, that which our Lord is — and what He has already done — for us. Let us consider Him — who can eternally save us — and — not just change — but, transform our lives! And, according to this text — this will we do — if, indeed, we are truly His “holy brethren” — and are “partakers” — of His heavenly calling.
Let us consider — for this New Year — Jesus as the, “Apostle”, or the messenger, of the glorious good news — of all that He has done — to historically prove Himself to be Jesus, the Christ — the Anointed One — and our eternal Savior. The word, apostle, literally means: a delegate. And, in this context — someone who acts specifically as an Ambassador of the gospel of God [Ro.1:1]. Plus — definitively — this word does not fulfill its intended meaning for “apostle” — apart from also including the divine capability to perform miraculous powers. Works done — in order to substantiate the divine mission of the messenger. And, our Lord Jesus certainly did that> “…the works which the Father hath given me to finish — the same works that I do — bear witness that the Father hath sent me.” [Jn.5:36] “Believe me — that I am in the Father — and the Father in me — or else, believe me for the very works sake!” [Jn.14:11]
Let us consider — for this New Year — Jesus as being the High Priest of (lit.) our confession! He is — in fact — a most unique High Priest — in that He is “perfect”. It is His perfection that sets Him apart from all the other priests — throughout all the history — of fallen mankind! He.7:28: “For the law (lit.) appointeth men high priests which have infirmity (or, which have imperfection) — but the Word of the oath (The immutable sworn Word of holy God) — which was since the law — maketh the Son — who is consecrated [Or, lit. perfected] forevermore!”
This is another aspect that makes Him unique as the High Priest of our confession — He is our perfect and eternal High Priest! The Word of the oath of the Most High God — concerning His Son — is this: “Thou art a priest — forever!” How is this so?! He.7:23-24 tells us> “And they truly were many priests (or, they of the Old Covenant law of Moses) — because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death — (24) but this man (or, lit. “He”, Jesus, the eternal Son of God) because He continues forever — hath an unchangeable priesthood!”
So, therefore, throughout this coming New Year — let us consider Him who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession — who is able to save to the uttermost — all them that come unto God by Him — in understanding that, He — being made perfect — because we needed to be made perfect — became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that hear and believe Him — and, He ever liveth to make eternally effective intercession for them.
For Christ’s Glory Only-
John Carpenter
Devotional for December 2012
“My brethren, count it all joy — when ye fall into divers temptations! Jas.1:2-4
“Fear not — for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy — which shall be to all people. For unto you is born — this day — in the city of David — a Savior — which is Christ the Lord!” Lk.2:10-11
When we are born from above and regenerated — it is by an act of the Holy Spirit of grace — revealing and uncovering the Word of God unto our hearts — in genuine life quickening spiritual understanding of who Christ is. Jesus is actually born again and anew in us — and as a result — we are made entirely anew as well! And, then suddenly we discover that we can relate with everyone else — to whom this has also occurred. We become “brethren” — siblings together — born of God in the Lord Jesus Christ — who is the manifestation of the great Triumvirate in human form. From the verse one — James refers to himself as literally — the “bond-slave” of God and Jesus. We, too, become fellow yoke-wearers (Mt.11:29-30) in Christ (Ro.6:22).
“Count it all joy” — says the Spirit through James. This means, in essence, to let this Godly way of thinking — command leadership over your whole being — especially when you fall into various trials. Consider the seasons of troubling providence to be that which God has promised to work toward conforming and transforming you into the good and glorious image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For remember, dear one, this is God’s destiny — for all of His true children! [Ro.8:28-30]
When our holy Lord was born into this fallen world — He was born into the unavoidable aspects of a troubled, oppressive existence of life and times where sin and death surrounded Him — and yet He triumphed over both. And, when Christ is born again in us who are still in this same fallen place — we suddenly see and learn that sin-infected and spawned circumstances — also surround us on all sides. We learn quickly that there is — by the flesh in this world — no escape from the distress that accompanies our sinful situation. But, we also learn from He — whose yoke we now wear — that as our sovereign Savior — He is the way of escape! [1Co.10:13]
With the glory of the living Christ revealed to be in us — in our new hearts — and our regenerated minds — we are thereby encouraged and strengthened by His might. [Phil.4:11-13] And, because He has overcome the world — we then can and will count all the times and types of our trial with “all joy”. [Jn.16:33] This is because Christ our Lord has been born in us — and we have been — in eternity — placed in Him by His grace. [Eph.1:3-6] For we know that trials — just like years, months, weeks, days and hours — will, ultimately, all just pass away! [Mt.24:35]
Our troubled times [2Co.4:8] are — by God’s divine design — destined to display and disclose our unavoidable conformation unto the image of our Lord Jesus Christ!
For Christ’s Glory Only –
John Carpenter
