by John Carpenter | Jan 8, 2012 | Devotional
“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
by John Carpenter | Dec 12, 2011 | Ministry News
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!
by John Carpenter | Dec 12, 2011 | Ministry News
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
by John Carpenter | Dec 12, 2011 | Camp News, Ministry News
Please be in prayer for us as we close out 2011 — and make the necessary plans and
preparations for 2012. Pray that God’s wisdom from up above be diligently sought for — and that we be not distracted with all that is going on around us. We need continual guidance and provisions from the Lord for everything — as usual — but especially for the sustaining of our staff of young people. We never know what hindrances the world will work into the equation of their lives. Only the coming months will tell. They are ever upon our hearts and in our prayers that they may be “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation”.
By the same token — please remember all the children who have gone through the camp program. Pray that the work of the Holy Spirit will be manifest in their young lives. Causing them to grow in grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Giving them strength to meet each of their days in this dark and dangerous world. Teaching them to pray — and the importance of God’s Word in their lives.
by John Carpenter | Dec 12, 2011 | Devotional
“But when the fullness of the time was come — God sent forth His Son — made of a woman…” “And the Word was made flesh — and dwelt among us — and we beheld His glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father — full of grace and truth.” Gal.4:4; Jn.1:14
These two texts describe the one and the same event within the appointed and decreed providence governed by sovereign almighty God. This grand event — marked the crowning moment of the fallen world — the whole age of sin and death! It marked the beginning — for all those of both time and eternity — of the fulfillment of God’s promise of ultimate judgment upon the deceitful, evil head of the devil — and of the ultimate bestowal of grace and truth that saves — upon the souls of His fallen and lost children. It marked the coming of the promised Christ of God — who is none other than the Lord Jesus — the only begotten — and eternal — Son of God!
In the garden where mankind plunged himself headlong into sin, God said unto the deceiving serpent: “and I will put enmity between thee and between the woman — and between thy seed and between her seed — it (or, lit., He) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” (Gen.3:15) And, there is written in scripture from 1Jn.3:8 the grace/truth of the matter that says: “He that committeth sin is of the devil — for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose — the Son of God was manifested — that He might destroy the works of the devil.” And, for our eternal assurance there is explained from He.9:11-12, “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come — by a greater and more perfect tabernacle — not made with hands — that is to say, not of this building (or, lit., creation)…by His own blood He entered in once for all into the holy place — having obtained eternal redemption for us.” And, then it is further declared from He.10:5-7, “Wherefore, when He cometh into the world — He saith…Then said I — ‘Lo, in the Volume of the Book it is written of me — to do thy will, O God’!” And, what He said He would do — He has done!
Even so, the Christ of Christmas came into this world according to the eternal will and purpose of God to effectually undo the deception and death of the devil — and to effectually save His people from their sins. This is what it means when it says that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt — or, tabernacled — among us and we beheld His glory.” The only begotten Son of God — in human flesh — was born of the seed of a woman — in order to be unto us an eternally effective display of God’s saving grace as a perfect propitiation for all His children. His coming into this — our fallen world — in order to perform this divinely ordered feat of eternal glory is what is worth a great celebration! Heaven and earth rejoice in the glory of His accomplishment!
Oh that there would genuinely be a worldwide restoration of the pure truth of this good news — this gospel of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ! May all of our lives be so lived to the accomplishment and maintenance of this very thing. Amen.
