by John Carpenter | Apr 18, 2014 | Devotional
“Now the God of peace — that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus — that great shepherd of the sheep — through the blood of everlasting covenant…” He.13:20
This is the traditional time of year where it is common among professing Christians to meditate and focus upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, that great event is what sanctifies Him — and all of us who truly believe in Him — from all other religious systems and beliefs throughout the world! For any and all religions that follow some special man — no matter how great that they may make him out to be — none — absolutely none of them — ever truly and historically died and then was raised back to life as the Savior of all His loved and chosen followers.
This text not only declares this truth, but puts the greatness of this feat in perfect perspective. It may said to do this — through three points. First of all, it makes plain that our Savior and Lord was completely in league with almighty God. God — who is unto us who are His — a God of peace. Hence, it says that He — as the God of peace — brought again from the dead our Savior and Surety, the Lord Jesus. God did this great thing for Him — because He is His Son! Ro.6:4 says, “like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father”. Praise His Name!
Secondly, this text declares the Lord Jesus to be the great Shepherd of the sheep. This premise of the perspective is so important because it adds unto the equation eternal divine purpose. His purpose was the eternal salvation of His sheep! Jesus declared Himself — from Jn.10:11 — to be the “Good Shepherd” — which — “giveth Hid life for the sheep”. It is from here, also, that He announced the amazing truth: (14) “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. (15) As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep!” And then the Lord Jesus said, (18) “No man taketh it from me — but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down — and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father.”
This last phrase gives us the: Third point that puts Christ’s resurrection into perfect perspective for us. For it declares that our Savior/substitute was under law to obediently do, and to have this done, unto the glory of God’s grace. This is the essence of the “Law of the Lord” — that is fulfilled “in the blood of the Everlasting Covenant”. It is this Law — that becomes the delight of true child of God (Ps.1:1-3). They meditate day and night on the fulfillment of this wonderful gospel truth!
Beloved, He.13:21 makes it clear that we — His sheep — are the recipients of the eternal blessings of Christ’s shed blood of the eternal covenant. For it says that through His resurrection — the God of peace will: “make you perfect in every good work to do His will — working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight — through Jesus Christ — to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”
It is indeed our earnest prayer that each of you will have a wonderful time of worship in spirit and in truth this time of year. May your reflections upon the great resurrection of our Lord bring glory — only — upon Him.
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Mar 30, 2014 | Devotional
“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return – and come to Zion with songs – and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness! And sorrow and sighing shall flee away!” Is.35:10
It has been just a little over a week now since God — in His grace — allowed us to witness the glorious end of an earthly journey of one of God’s redeemed ones. A witness that is being described in this text. Mary Lee Carpenter entered into the eternal joy of her Lord and Savior at 7:45 AM on March 13, 2014. She was 93 years old — and she lived all those years, except for her last three weeks, healthy enough to live and move and get around by herself.
She spent her daily time reading books – listening to favorite Christian music – and writing entries into her prayer journal. She often voiced her longing to be able to just go on and be with the Lord — and lamented being so old that she did not feel “useful” anymore. “Why is the Lord keeping me here?” – she would ask. In the end, however, she became a living testimony to all of us who were there to see it — of the substantive and applicable meaning of the 16th verse from 2Cor.4: “For which cause we faint not, but though, also, our outward man perish — yet the inward man is renewed — day by day.” This is the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
The Lord God called her (with her husband) to life long service for His great glory in the ministry of Camp Del-Haven. She was faithful…to the Lord Jesus Christ in serving Him in this ministry. She came to truly understand — that everything that is done for Christ in this life – is not done at all – unless it is done by His strength and completely and totally for His glory! That’s why she never fainted in being faithful.
Beloved friends, she went to sleep in Jesus — having lived — and having worn out her old earthly tabernacle of flesh — and having been divinely prepared to be received into the glorious joy-filled presence of her sovereign Savior Substitute – her eternal Lord and Redeemer forever and ever and ever! While she closed her eyes here — her faith and hope became sight and reality there! What she couldn’t grasp of some spiritual things here — she entered into the peace, rest and pure understanding of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit — there!
She experienced — unto its glorious completion — 2Cor.5:2 — which says: “For, also, in this (earthly house) we groan — earnestly desiring to be clothed upon — with our house which is from heaven…” And again — 2Cor.5:4: “For, also, we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened — not for that we would be unclothed — but clothed upon! That mortality might be swallowed up by life!” Yes — she bore witness to the culmination of a life drawn to — and held tight — in the grip of the gospel of the glory — only — of the Lord Jesus Christ, “who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light”! She was faithful because her Lord had called her to be so. Praise his name!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Feb 19, 2014 | Devotional
“And Benaiah — the son of Jehoiada — the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel — who had done many acts — he slew two lion-like men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. (21) And he slew an Egyptian — a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand — and slew him with his own spear! (22) These things did Benaiah — the son of Jehoiada — and had the name among three mighty men.
This terse account of one of David’s mighty men was a favorite story that my father, Don Carpenter, would often tell to the boys around the campfire out here at Camp Del-Haven.
He would focus on the part where it says that Benaiah went down and slew a lion in the midst of a pit — in time of snow. He would wonderfully embellish the story by his describing a bitter cold night when outside an Israelite village Benaiah and all the people would hear the roar of a man-eating lion that had fallen into a pit that he had dug to catch him. And then he would tell how Benaiah must have put on his boots and big heavy coat, stick his big hunting knife in his belt, light his torch and walk through the middle of the village to the edge of town where the pit would be that he had dug. As he told this story — you could actually hear the crunch of Benaiah’s footsteps in the snow as he made his approach to the pit. Once he was there — he would stick the torch so it shed its light down in the pitch black darkness of the pit. Then he would describe how the lion would then roar and leap toward the torch in an effort to escape the pit he was in. Benaiah would then announce to the beast that their life and death encounter was inevitable to take place — and that he, the lion — could not win. He would then take his knife out of his belt — and would jump into the pit to do battle and slay the lion. When Benaiah climbed out of that pit — he went back to his home having triumphantly and forever silenced the roaring lion once and for all and thereby saving his people from the dreadful man-eater.
This, dear ones, draws a beautiful picture that describes just what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for His people! He has jumped into the dreaded pit of death to fight and win the battle that we could not even begin to fight. This He has done — when He went to the cross — and then to the grave — to then come out of the grave as the winner of the ultimate victory over our evil enemies — Satan and sin.
Ro.8:37 tells us: “…in all these things -we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!” Christ our propitiation — our sovereign Savior and substitute — has fought the battle over our souls for us — and won for us the wonderful victory whereby we — by His great grace — may truly rejoice! He — the eternal Son of God could not lose. Our eternal redemption and justification is the fruit of His victory!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
-John Carpenter
“Fear ye not! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord — Which He will show to you today… The Lord shall fight for you — and you shall hold your peace.” Ex.14:13-14
by John Carpenter | Jan 16, 2014 | Devotional
“According as His divine power — hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness — through the (full) knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; (4) whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises — that by these — ye might be partakers of the divine nature — having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2Pe.1:3-4
The grace of God that makes a new creature of the true believing sinner is, indeed, a marvelous and wonderful thing! It is a divinely powerful thing! It affects everything that pertains to the life that is bent toward Godliness. The scriptures dogmatically declare from Rom.3:10 — that because we are born in sin — “there is none righteous -no not one”. This means that man from himself — by himself — is left completely unjustified before holy God.
How then can this be changed? Well, frankly, by us — it can’t! But, where the gospel of the glory of the divine power of God’s grace is concerned — things can be, by His doing — entirely different! Ro.4:5 delivers the wonderful news — “but to him that worketh not — but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly — his faith is counted for righteousness!”
This is what Peter is telling us when he says that through God’s divine power and His exceeding great and precious promises we have become partakers of His divine nature! It is in this way — we have escaped out of the awful grip of the corruption that is in this world through lust!
Of course, how all of this takes place in our lives and experiences is by virtue of the gospel truth that we have been placed by God — in His eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ — from before the foundation of the world! And, being a branch in Christ, the Vine, the justifying righteousness that we own — is His righteousness — because we are in Him. Being found in Him — God can find no fault in us! There are no accusations that can be truthfully made against us. Why? Because: “there is, therefore, now — no condemnation — to them that are in Christ Jesus…” “We are His workmanship — created in Christ Jesus — unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Pr.11:23 says: “The desire of the righteous — is only good!” Why is this the case? Even because as Ps.37:4 says: “Delight thyself also in the Lord — and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” By grace, His desires become our desires.
Whatever it may be that we have — that is good and Godly — we have because it has been graciously given unto us by God. 1Co.4:7 rightly asks it: “…what hast thou — that thou didst not receive? Now if, also, thou didst receive it — why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?” This is good rich food for thought — for the new year!
For Christ’s Glory Only –
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Dec 16, 2013 | Devotional
“And I will put enmity between thee — and (lit.) between the woman — and between thy seed — and (lit.) between her seed! He shall bruise thy head — and thou shalt bruise His heel.” Ge.3:15
“Therefore, the Lord, Himself, shall give you a sign — the virgin shall conceive — and bear a Son — and shall call His name — Immanuel!” Is.7:14
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise — (lit.) For as His mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph — before they came together — she was found with child of the Holy Ghost!” Mt.1:18
“Now all this was done — that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (lit.) by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (23) ‘Behold — a virgin shall be with child — and shall bring forth a Son — and they shall call His name, Immanuel!’ Which being interpreted is: God with us.” Mt.1:22-23
What is it — really — that true believing Christians celebrate at this time of year? The true celebration of Christmas — is a celebration of the history of the eternal reality of the incarnation into the fallen human race — of the eternal Son and Christ of God! It is a celebration of the divine and loving provision of God — of an eternal propitiation and substitute — for all of His lost and sinful children! And, only a loving and gracious God could make such a provision.
The elect and holy angels of God appeared — or, revealed — themselves unto the shepherds and were heard by them to declare: “Glory to God in the highest — and on earth — Peace — good will toward [Or, lit., “in and among”] men.” Lk.2:14
They declared on this trial ridden, tumultuous earth — peace — because He who is called the “Prince of peace” Is.9:6 had finally arrived. He had arrived to ultimately fulfill the eternal purpose and decree of God to provide — through His life and death and resurrection — everlasting peace — between God and all those that He has loved and saved throughout the history of fallen humanity!
There is no peace in this world. Jesus said that in this world we will have trial and tribulation. But, there is an eternally accomplished peace — in Christ — the one and only God/man! A peace that transcends time and eternally exists between holy God and all those that intimately are a part of that which the Bible refers to as His Bride — His Building — His true Church! Praise His Name!
We celebrate the birth of Christ — even because we who are saved realize the He, Jesus, is our peace! Eph.2:14 He, by Himself, as our eternal Savior and Surety — has eternally secured a completely wrought out standing of peace with God — for us.
He brought with His coming a loving reconciliation with God — so that nothing but God’s good will would be realized in and among us — to the glory of His great grace.
May all of us here at Del-Haven wish all of you who receive and read this newsletter — a very wonderful and joyous Christmas celebration!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Nov 20, 2013 | Devotional
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble. The name of the God of Jacob defend thee (2) — send thee help from the sanctuary — and strengthen thee out of Zion (3) — remember all thy offerings — and accept thy burnt sacrifice — Selah (4) — grant thee according to thine own heart — and fulfill all thy counsel.” Ps.20:1-4
Truly, there is nothing more deserving of our thankfulness than the Lord God’s answers and responses unto our most desperate and earnest prayers. Life and times in this fallen world are filled with “trouble” — of this there is no doubt. But, the good news is — we have the governor and controller of all our circumstances as our Savior and our God! Praise His Name!
This Psalm is literally a call to arms unto the Captain of our salvation — and all of us who are in His earthly army: 2Ti.2:3-4 “Thou therefore endure hardness — as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (4) No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life — that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
These first four verses of this Psalm are a description of the reality that takes place for the saved one who — without hesitation — obediently follows the Lord in and through the battles that they encounter here in this world. By God’s grace — all eight of the realities listed here are ours — through the person and work of the Lord Jesus who first exhibited them on our behalf during His divine tenure on earth in His incarnation. He is our Surety and Substitute and, therefore, our Savior! Because of Him all eight of these are ours:
1. The Lord hears us [Or, lit. answers us] in the day of trouble.
2. The Name of the God of Jacob defends us [Or, lit. sets us on high].
3. The Lord sends our Help — from the heavenly Sanctuary.
4. The Lord strengthens us [Or, lit. supports us] out of Zion.
5. The Lord remembers all our offerings — and —
6. The Lord accepts our burnt sacrifice [Or, lit. the atonement that He has eternally wrought for us through His death for us]
7. The Lord gives unto us the desires of our own heart [which He has made the same as that which is His — our eternal salvation]
8. The Lord fulfills — on our behalf — His divine purpose and plan concerning us.
This is descriptive of the power of His resurrection — which everyone of us — like the apostle Paul — who have been redeemed by Christ’s blood — earnestly long to know — even while we are yet in the midst of the troublesome warfare of this world: Phil.3:10 “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection — and the fellowship of His sufferings — being made conformable unto His death…” This desire of our hearts — He brings to pass. For which we are eternally thankful!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
– John Carpenter
