| STEPS TO HAVING AN AWESOME WEEK OF CAMP!!! |
OK, I'll tell you right up front that this article will probably apply more to faculty than to campers... however, some of it will apply to campers too. But. . . most of us will only get one week to have a life changing experience at camp this summer. So, how do we make it be the absolute greatest that it can possibly be? I'd like to suggest a few ways that should do just that. 1. INCREASE YOUR FAITH You know, I hope when we get to Heaven, God has a big LCD Projector and a screen Where He can play back some of the great moments, or scenes from the Bible. Wouldn't it be great to be able to watch the replay of Moses parting the Red Sea? Or maybe the conversation that Balaam had with his talking donkey? Or maybe watch and see what the world looked like when the great flood happened? Obviously we'd want to watch as the stone rolled away and Jesus walked out of that tomb after he came back to life. But there's one scene that I'd really like to be able to see the replay of and that would be when Elijah took on the prophets of Baal. That's one of my all time favorite Bible scenes. Now we all know the story. 1st Kings, chapter 18. Elijah summoned the 450 prophets of Baal and told them to meet him on Mount Carmel. (Is it my imagination or does God seem to do some pretty amazing things on mountains. . . if you know what I mean?) Then he instructed them to prepare two bulls for sacrifice. One to be scarified to the Lord and one to be sacrificed to Baal. He told the prophets of Baal to place their sacrifice on the altar for Baal and he would do the same on an alter made for the Lord. Then he told them to call on the name of Baal and he would call on the name of the Lord and the God who answers by fire, would be God. Well, The prophets of Baal prayed. Then they prayed some more. They prayed, and they prayed, and they prayed. But Baal never responded. So finally it was Elijah's turn. Elijah makes it even more interesting buy having the prophets of Baal pour 12 big jars full of water all over the wood on the altar. And, 1st Kings 18:36-38 says "at the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then it says Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench." Now, you might be wondering, what does this have to do with faith? Well, it has everything to do with faith! How did Elijah know that God was going to come through? Remember, the sides were 450 prophets of Baal to one prophet of God. . . Elijah. Do we even comprehend how much faith Elijah must have had to take such a risk for God? See that's real faith! Real faith isn't just believing in God or believing he's awesome and powerful. Real faith is being willing to take a risk for God and being totally confident that He isn't going to let you down. Even if God's outcome is different that what you want it to be. I have no doubt that you want to have a great week of camp this summer. But the question is. . . what risks are you willing to take to open the door for God to do something great at your week of camp? Are you willing to make some changes? Are you willing to say no to some things in your life to free up some time so that you can put more preparation into your week? And, are you willing to take a risk by inviting an unsaved friend to attend a week at CCYC? Elijah was willing to take some risks for God and as a result, God did something amazing. What could God do in our lives and at our weeks of camp if we would just take a risk or two and put our total trust in Him? 2. GET THE FOCUS IS OFF OF YOURSELF AND ON TO GOD If you've ever been to a week of camp at CCYC, chances are pretty good that, you've seen that skit "focus on God, focus on God. . ." That's a great skit with a great message! But wouldn't it be greater if it was something that was on our hearts all the time and not just when we're up on the mountain at camp? And, wouldn't it be greater if it was on our minds, the entire time we're at camp instead of just at missions, vespers and campfire? What is it that causes our focus to be on US instead of God? Well, it's different things for different people. For some it's pride. For some it's a power and control thing. Sometimes it's just a struggle with giving God the glory for what he's trying to do in our lives. Sometimes we want to be focused on God... but we also want to see ourselves in the picture of God that we're trying to focus on. The Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Think about that for a second... "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. " One of the reasons why God doesn't do great things in people's lives and in their churches... and yes, even at their weeks of camp is because their eyes are fixed on themselves not on the author and perfecter of their faith. And if they're honest, THEY'RE more concerned with themselves doing great things then they are with God doing great things. We all struggle with it. We all have to overcome the flesh and say no to the temptation to focus on ourselves. The more I think about this, the more it's plain to see how the devil uses this to stop amazing, Godly things from happening in believers' lives and even at their weeks of camp. 3. PRAY. . . AND PRAY BELIEVING There's two things to consider here. 1. How much do you REALLY pray? Suppose this Sunday I showed up at your church with a polygraph machine and called you to the front of the assembly... in front of the entire congregation... and and wired you up and then asked you how much you prayed? Would you be comfortable having your brothers and sisters know the results? Or, would you be embarrassed? Simply put, how can you pray believing if you don't pray to begin with? OK so then, what does mean. . . to pray believing? Well, I feel like it means that God does great things when people pray. . . expecting Him to do great things. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. And, He said in Matthew 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Folks, does it get any more obvious than that? Now, I have heard some Christians who seem to think that we should have the audacity to come before the creator of the universe, and because we believe when we pray, somehow God's backed into a corner and has no choice but to do what we ask. I'm not suggesting that. God is God and can do whatever he wants. But from what Jesus says in the above passages, it sure sounds like God really does want to answer our prayers. So, if that's the case, shouldn't we pray expecting God to answer? OK then... How much time have you prayed lately for CCYC? How much time have you prayed for Bill, the camp manager or Luke, the camp maintenance director, or the camp board of directors? Most of you know what dean(s) you'll be working for or whose weeks you'll be attending this summer. How much have you prayed for them. And most of you know what weeks you'll be working or attending. How much have you been before God lifting those weeks up asking God to move in a mighty and miraculous way during that week? And when you prayed, as you got to "in Jesus' name, amen..." did you open your eyes expecting that God was really going to move in a mighty and miraculous way? And when the time came for you to make the trek up Dry Fork Road, did you get out of your car and say... "OK God, let's see what you're going to do this week?" I'm sure there are many other things we can do to have awesome weeks of camp this summer besides these three. But, I challenge you to give these three things a try and then see what amazing things God will do as a result. For His glory only, Ron Cox - CCYC Website Editor Please feel free to send comments and suggestions regarding this article to this email address: ron@churchofchristyouthcamp.com (Scripture passages taken from the New International Version) |
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