by John Carpenter | Jul 6, 2011 | Camp News, Ministry News
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.
by John Carpenter | Jul 6, 2011 | Devotional
“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
by John Carpenter | Jun 2, 2011 | Camp News, Ministry News
Transportation Needs
This month marks the beginning of our 2011 camp season. The first camp we have scheduled is for week of June 20th. A major challenge we are facing is how are we going to be able to pick up and deliver the children to the respective drop off place. Our vans have all broken down. Here we are at the beginning of camp season and we need help! We pick up the children on Monday at 10:30 AM — and drop them off Thursday at around 2:00 PM. We have six camp sessions scheduled — so that means we need help with 12 trips. Please — if you have any solutions to this problem — please let us know! Pray with us for God to “fully supply” this need.
2011 Staff Training
Our staff is gathering together next week to prepare for the coming season of giving forth the wonderful message of the gospel. Please be praying for them as they lay the groundwork for ministry to the children. And, as always, be in prayer with us for the kids. They will be coming to us from a wide variety of beliefs and backgrounds. The spiritual battle we enter into is very real — but so is our Savior! He always wins! Prayer is the provision that always accomplishes His will and good pleasure.
by John Carpenter | Jun 2, 2011 | Camp News, Ministry News
From time to time we have a request for a list of items that are needed on a regular basis at camp for collections and food showers.
Paper plates
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Napkins
Ziplock bags (all sizes)
Liquid dishwasher soap
Dishwasher Detergent
Bleach
Toilet cleaner
Windex
All purpose cleaner
Cream of chicken soup
Chicken Broth
Ketchup
Pancake Syrup
Bisquick
Cereal
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Pasta/Rice
by John Carpenter | Jun 2, 2011 | Devotional
“But my God shall supply all your need — according to His riches in glory — by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Phil.4:19-20
The Philippians were especially near and dear to the apostle Paul’s heart and life in this world. As a particular group of believers they were used of God more than any other in ministering to his earthly necessities. Time and time again throughout the course of his travels — someone from their group was always showing up with supplies — of whatever he happen to be needing at the time — just in time!
He recognized this to be an actual answer to his prayers — and those praying for him. Therefore, he saw the meeting of his different needs — so that he could survive in this world — as coming directly from God! Of course the means that the Lord used were the Philippians — and their wonderful way of willingly and faithfully providing for him — but in the big picture of things, they were the secondary source of the supply of Paul’s needs. God was always the primary source!
What Paul is saying in this text is that there is at work here a divine principle. The resources of wealth and supply that they came to have and to own — from which resource there flowed forth God’s supply of Paul’s needs — that resource of theirs would, in turn, also be supplied accordingly! Peter explains this divine principle in this way: “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life — and Godliness…”! Our faithfulness is made possible — is divinely worked out — by His faithfulness.
Hence, it literally — descriptively declares: “God shall fully supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” And, that this supply goes way beyond the temporal necessities of this world is made obvious from Eph.1:3-14. Where four times it is alluded to: The praise and the glory of the riches of His grace! In which riches there is included: Our adoption into His family — and our being accepted in Him (which is our justification by His grace) — and our redemption through His blood — and His having worked out all things in this life, or the next, for us — according to His purpose and grace — and glory!
Paul is led of the Holy Spirit to stress this fact — because he writes to us: “Now unto God and our Father — be glory forever and ever — Amen!” It is, indeed, grand — that he is led to articulate that God is our Father. He is our heavenly Father, through Christ alone — and we know He is our Father, by the Holy Spirit alone. “Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Praise His Name!
In the riches of His grace — through which He has supplied all the spiritual blessings for our eternal salvation — all our need is supplied in Christ — who is our all in all!
-For Christ’s Glory Only
John Carpenter
