The first two Del-Haven camps of the 2011 season have already come and gone. And, the Lord has richly blessed us indeed. This year has unfolded so fast — that I can’t hardly keep up with all that’s going on around us.
Waiting For A Ride
Session 1 Campers and Staff
Session 2 Campers and Staff
We are currently renting a van twice week from HMH in Lee’s Summit for about $90 per trip. Thank you for praying with us concerning this need. Many of our campers would not make it to camp without assistance. Special thanks to Mrs. Vasholz for her generous donation toward this need.
We have experienced a much needed — and greatly appreciated — food shower from our dear friends at Crest Bible Church. Once again they gathered over 20 boxes of can goods, cake mixes and macaroni and cheese! Things that little boys and girls love — and want more of! Our special thanks to our special friends for this ongoing show of great support for the cause of Christ.
We have also have a few individuals who have responded to the “Needed Items” list in the previous newsletter. Special thanks to The Lyons and The VanHorns for making a special trip to camp with those supplies.
Please keep up your persistency in praying for our entire staff. The hot weather is all a part of the territory where camping is concerned — but it is amazing how your prayers can help to keep up the strength that is needed to endure it.
I overheard one of our girl staff members explaining to a camper that is approaching the age of being too old to be a camper anymore — about our Learning to Serve Program — whereby we allow young teens to come back the next year as a helper. This helps us out — as well as gives us an excuse to keep these good campers in the much needed hearing of the Word. Please add this program to your prayers.
Of course, your prayers are always needed for the children themselves. Pray that God will continue to bless in preparing them to hear the gospel of the glory of Christ that can and does transform their very lives.
“Hereby know we that we dwell in Him — and He in us — because He hath given us of His Spirit.” 1Jn.4:13
This verse communicates unto us both — assurance of our position in Christ — and the cause of that assurance, viz., God the Holy Spirit. It is the person and work of the Holy Spirit that leads us in the blessed learning process whereby we come to experientially know that we commune — dwell — abide — with the person and work of God the Son — and God the Father.
John writes these words even as he had been taught the meaning of them by the Savior, Himself. From Jn.14:16-17 Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father — and He shall give you another Comforter — that He may abide [dwell] with you forever. (17) Even the Spirit of truth — whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not — neither knoweth Him. But, ye know Him — for He dwelleth [abides] with you — and shall be in you.” And then in vs.23 Jesus goes on to say, “If a man love me — he will keep my words — and my Father will love him — and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.
Hence, we come to know that we, in fact, do dwell in Him — and He in us — because He hath given us of the Holy Spirit! We cannot know that we are in Him — without His first being in us. And, it is the Holy Spirit that reveals this unto us.
It was not revealed unto David — he did not realize — his place and stature as being chosen by God to be the next king of Israel — until after the prophet Samuel had come and anointed him with oil. The oil of anointing was an Old Testament type of the Holy Spirit — and this particular order of doing things — as instructed by God — is itself a type of the same where we in our regeneration — our becoming new creations in Christ — are concerned. 1Jn.2:20 says: “But ye have an unction [an anointing] from the Holy One — and ye know all things.”
Back again to Jn.14:26 — we see that Jesus also taught: “But the Comforter — which is the Holy Spirit — whom the Father will send in my name — He shall teach you all things — and bring all things to your remembrance — whatsoever I have said unto you.” All three persons of the Godhead work in concert for our salvation!
So we see — that a right knowledge — and living experience — of the great things of God the Father and God the Son in the eternal salvation of our souls — is so dependent upon the eternal abiding presence within us of God the Holy Spirit. We are so deeply depraved and fallen that we need this Holy guide to indeed be Holy God — in order for us to truly experience the revelation of the glorious things of Christ our eternal Savior. Praise His Name!
– For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
