January Prayer Requests

This is the time of year that we spend much time in prayerful seeking for the Lord to go before us in preparing for the coming camp season. Please be faithful in doing same thing. Pray for campers and staff alike. That the Lord our God will send us both — to the glory of the presentation of His gospel. Pray, also, for the continual supply of everything that we will need in order to stay in operation. And, please continue to pray for the retirement of the debt we yet owe to the bank. We are making progress. It is just seems to be — not very fast. The current balance is $53,676.82.

We earnestly pray for these things — and we also pray for you. That God will bless you — and meet all your needs. And, we pray for you — that you, too, will be in prayer for these things for us — with us. God be praised!

Remember — prayer is used of the Lord in the accomplishment of His will and purpose for the furtherance of the glory of the purity of His gospel. The gospel of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ — the only Sovereign Savior Substitute — that ever was, is or ever will be! “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name — that will I do — that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask anything in my Name –
I will do it!” Jn.14:13-14

Giving Thanks

Once again, we are truly thankful to the Lord our God for yet another year of ministry here at Camp Del-Haven. And, 2012 — will mark our 60th year!

As I write this newsletter, the weather is unseasonably sunny and warm. We are usually out cutting more firewood for our wood stoves — and maybe even having to shovel our way out through some snow. That’s all right — we’ll take this warm weather with an hearty thanks unto the Lord — and go on. In everything we are to give thanks — but in this we give an hearty thanks!

Thank you, dear ones, for being there — have a blessed and prosperous New Year!

Devotional for January 2012

“Be strong and courageous — be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria — nor for all the multitude that is with him — for there be more with us than with him! (8) With him is an arm of flesh — but with us is the Lord our God — to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.” 2Chr.32:7-8

These are the words that Hezekiah spoke unto the people of Jerusalem when king Sennacherib and the Assyrians had come and surrounded the city and demanded that they surrender, or die. It was, however, 185,000 of them that died instead — overnight — by just one angel of the Lord!

This incident occurred right after Hezekiah had done such good for the nation of Judah. 2Chr.31:20-21 describes: “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah — and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. (21) And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the commandments — to seek his God — he did it — with all His heart — and prospered!”

There is so much here to encourage our hearts — is there not? No matter what the outlook is — or, the odds are — that are against us — when the Lord our God is with us there is no enemy nor weapon that is formed by the flesh that can prosper! There is no government — nor principality — nor power that can prevail over us! Ps.34:7 says that, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him — and delivereth them.”

A true child of God will always be in prayer — seeking the Lord his God — that He will go before them — in everything — in this world! “In all thy ways acknowledge Him — and He shall direct thy paths” — “Pray without ceasing”– “Men ought always to pray — and not to faint”. And, isn’t it wonderful that we do not need to have to always go to our special place of prayerful worship and devotion in order to petition from the Lord — His leading? No — His almighty throne of grace — from where He rules and reigns over us — is immediately available to us — whenever we call — from wherever we are. God’s eternal presence goes with us! This means that God’s power goes with us — and God’s peace goes with us — and God’s prevailing grace goes with us! The blood paved way to the throne of grace is always available — is always to us accessible. That is — to the true children of God. He has eternally willed and made this to be the way that it is. Praise His Great Name!

So, as another new year in this old world overtakes us — let us be mindful of God’s great and wonderful never failing faithfulness. Yes — in this world we will have trials and tribulation — but that’s ok — because Jesus in no uncertain terms tells us that He has fought for us — and has overcome the world! On this truth — spoken by He, who is the Truth — we can rest.

-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter

New Signs

Oh, by the way, we have new — very professionally done — signs that the Lord has provided through a gifted sign maker named, Les Tardy — of Warrensburg, MO! Les and Barbara suddenly showed up to worship with us out here on Sundays and they have been a wonderful blessing in our midst. Remember to thank the Lord with us for them — and to pray for God’s rich blessing on them as well. Thank you all. We love you very much!

Merry Christmas

Dear ones, may we here at Camp Del-Haven extend our warmest wishes for you all to have a very Merry Christmas — 2011! Use this time to be especially mindful and earnestly prayerful for — not only of our families — but also of our nation. The worldly attacks on our Lord Jesus Christ are becoming much more overt and outrageous. The country is becoming much more careless in the way it refers to anything that is remotely of a Christian nature and character. Satan delights to show how powerful he is in troubling and afflicting the people of God — and especially the work of the ministry of Christ. But, as the Word of God descriptively declares: “Now is come salvation and strength — and the Kingdom of our God — and the power of His Christ! For the accuser of our brethren is cast down — which accused them before our God day and night — and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb — and by the word of their testimony!” Re.12:10-11