PTTS: Ephesians 1:7-10

Praying Through the Scriptures: Ephesians 1:7-10

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth."

Father, let me give praise to You for the work of Your Son, the Beloved.

My trespasses are numerous and severe against You. You would be just to condemn and punish me with the tortures of Hell. I cannot make any excuse for them. Your justice demands that these sins be punished.

By the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus has bore my sins through the riches of His grace. His blood was spilled to purchase the redemption of His people, the forgiveness of their sins. It not by the work of my hands that I claim such forgiveness, but simply by faith in His Gospel. Help me to cherish this fact…let me count this forgiveness as the greatest of all treasures.

Break my mind free from the bondage of looking at the temporal as if it is the eternal. Let me not treasure wealth or physical beauty. Do not let me find security in my bank account or my situations. Instead, let me see myself as rich, trusting Your Word and the promises it contains for those redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Help me to understand the depths of the grace lavished out upon the Church. Let me remember how the priests of the Old Covenant had to sacrifice blood again and again, yet it still could not atone for the sins of men. Let me remember the wrath of God that came to those who were not under the blood of the Passover. Let me appreciate my salvation, and the salvation that you have bestowed upon those believers whom I love in my family and in my church.

I give thanks to You for making known to me the mystery of Your will. I now understand that it is Your pleasure that all glory belongs to Jesus Christ. He is the purpose of all of history. He is the focus of all of the Scriptures. Whether on earth or in the heavens, it is His name that should be magnified and praised. As Your Word clearly states, Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and the glory of God is summed up in His person. May my thoughts and my words convey that wisdom.

Please restore the central focus of the glory of Christ to the churches to which we belong. Let our worship clearly center upon Jesus Christ instead of focusing on our worldly needs. Let our evangelism stress His righteousness instead of cheap grace. Let our Christian families and fellowship find satisfaction in discussing the majesty of our Savior instead of amusement and the tedious aspects of this world.

Men's Fellowship - Prayer

This past Sunday evening, we met for our Men's fellowship and experienced a time of challenge, of encouragement, and of repentance. Our thoughts were drawn to the subject of corporate prayer and we expressed our struggles, frustrations, and hopes regarding this important subject.

I am personally convinced that we have many pressures upon us that mold us into patterns of corporate prayer that are far from biblical. Even the best of the books and studies that we have used to help our prayer lives fail at some of the most basic levels. At the core of this is the assumption that the only thing that we care to pray about is our health, our finances, and our relationships...oh, and lest we forget the staple of all modern corporate prayer, travel mercies (forgive the sarcasm). Many of these books and studies try to show us that we are to pray for all of these things with the focus of bringing glory to God. This is an important point, but as I look to the teachings on prayer in the Scriptures I am left to wonder if there is an issue that lies deeper, at the heart of the things that we desire and the things that we do not.

There were certainly plenty of needs in biblical times. There was poverty in many of the places were the churches existed. There were broken families and relationships. There were illnesses and death. The mortality rate was about the same as today! There were accidents, disasters, social injustices, etc. All of these things were just as rampant then as they are now. But what was the focus of the prayers of the Church? Time and time again we see corporate prayer focused upon the unity of the Church, the edification of the Church, the need for wisdom in the Church, for the advancement of the Gospel as the Church continues to proclaim the Word of Life as it expands the dominion of the Lord Jesus as salvation goes forth. The Scriptures show forth the need to ask for God's strength and provision for the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit and through faith in the risen Lord Jesus.

I am not saying that we should not be praying for material or physical needs. Pray for them all...spiritual, physical, relational. Any thing that urges you to depend upon God and ask of His good provision. We are commanded in the Scriptures to do so! But understand that as a believer, you are able to pray for these things without necessarily needing the help of others in prayer.

Now, if you have labored in prayer and the burden is heavy, if you need encouragement and you need to know that others are bearing the burden with you, by all means, bring it before another brother or sister in Christ. Ask your church to pray for you! But all too often, I think we have reached a point in which we ask others to pray for things that we ourselves are not truly burdened about. Or else, we ask thinking that the Lord will not answer our prayer alone, but that He is more apt to answer the prayers when others are asking Him.

My greatest concern is that there are so many of these requests that there is little emphasis placed upon praying for the earnest and dire needs of the Church. It is very indicting that we do not see sincere and dependent prayers of corporate repentance, corporate supplications, and biblical yearnings for the strength of the Church in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

Perhaps another hindrance to biblical corporate prayer is that we do not want to speak as if there is something wrong in our churches. In other words, if we are going to seek biblical corporate prayer, we will have to admit that we don't have perfect unity, perfect desires, perfect people, and perfect ministries. It takes corporate humility and corporate repentance. We must not be afraid to admit that we need to grow in these areas. But let us take heart and see the things that the Scriptures call us to value and let us pray that those things take place in our midst!

I am thankful for the discussion that we had Sunday night, and I hope that it continues, no only as a discussion, but that it changes our corporate prayer life to be more biblical, more sincere, and more effectual for the glory of the Lord Jesus! May we pray that it is so.

Acts 2: Devotion

The second chapter of Acts chronicles the incredible display of the power of the Holy Spirit as God poured it out upon these believers. We have looked at the salvation that was revealed, the judgment that was revealed, and the power that was revealed as promised by our Lord that these people would become His witnesses. In verse 42 we see that these believers were changed...they "continually devoted" themselves to the apostolic teaching of the Gospel, fellowship with one another including breaking bread together, and to prayer.

In verse 43, we see that the apostles continued to perform signs and wonders. This is the same phrase used earlier to describe the manner in which God attested that Jesus is the Messiah. I take from this parallel usage that God now was attesting that the apostolic teaching of the Gospel was the true message of the Messiah, the promised Good News of the New Covenant and therefore God was declaring the certainty of the hope that is, and that is to be revealed. In chapter 3, we will see a specific example of the apostolic signs and the validation that they bring upon the Gospel that they are heralding.

Such things are overwhelming. God demonstrated in power with wondrous events that Jesus is the Messiah, that His judgment is against those who oppose Him, even those who were once His people, but now are not His people if they continue in unbelief.

My friends, we need to be overwhelmed. We must be driven from our whimsical nature to lives of continual devotion. This passage calls us to consider the great events of those first days of the New Covenant and we ought to be amazed. Perhaps as we study these accounts we realize that reading about them may not bring the same amazement that we may have had if we were there, experiencing the rushing sound of the Spirit, seeing the manifestation described as the tongues of fire, experiencing the miracle of the tongues. But these signs testify of the reality that can overwhelm us with incredible power. These all attest that the Holy Spirit will empower the people of God to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Christ and that we will be driven to devotion when we are led by the Spirit.

Let us thirst for this power! Let us ask for this power! And let us seek this power in faith, knowing that it is the will of our God to display His glory through the Good News concerning the Lord and Messiah, Jesus Christ!

A second and worse death.

Just a quotation worthy of consideration...

"If sin had only wronged man in this life, which is but for a moment, it would not have been so serious. But sin's miserable effects are everlasting: if mercy does not prevent, the wicked will die and rise to die again, the second and a worse death."

- Ralph Venning from The Sinfulness of Sin.

PTTS: Ephesians 1:3-6

Praying Through the Scriptures: Ephesians 1:3-6

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

May all praise be to You, the great and mighty God, who alone has the power to bless His children. Sin and the forces of darkness may offer temporal things that seem to benefit me, but they are illusions; they are designed to distract me from the hope of glory to come and also to make me dissatisfied with the provision of Your perfect gifts. Grant that I may seek pleasure in You alone.

Selah.

What splendor!!! Through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have been blessed with every blessing. May that thought sink into my heart…'every' spiritual blessing! There is no good gift that I lack. Indeed, should I be discontent, should I think that God has forsaken me in any way, then I sin against His goodness and the promise of His Word.

Father, let me be a testimony to those around me of this great truth. Let my actions show that I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Let me not complain of my lot in life. Let me not show forth greed and lust for things that are contrary to the holiness of the Law of Christ. Forgive me for sinning in this manner and for giving the world another reason to think that the Christian faith is just another mere religious institution. Let me be convinced that nothing good will ever come from sin and that the perfect supply of blessing for every need in my life has been supplied by my Lord Jesus Christ.

Should I ever wonder how I am blessed in so great a measure, use Your Word to convince me. Let me know that as a believer in Christ, I have been chosen by You before the foundations of the world. As such, my assurance is secure. There is nothing I can fail to do to lose your love, for You have not chosen to bless me so richly based upon my own actions, but by Your sovereign grace. It is through this grace that I stand before you holy and blameless, for I have been united with Christ, the Holy One.

Let me know that I have been adopted as a son by You through the kindness of the will of Jesus Christ. Therefore, even with the Apostle Paul, I cry out with praise to You for Your glorious grace to me. Loose my tongue that I may sing and speak of Your glories. Glory to God for the every blessing bestowed upon all believers in the Gospel freely through the Beloved, Jesus our Lord!
Amen.

Introduction to the Praying Through the Scriptures Series

I hope to begin and continue a series of posts titled "Praying Through the Scriptures". One of the greatest thrills that I have known through my studying and preaching the Word of God is the challenge to change my prayers from a trite, unthoughtful, and worldly manner towards the biblical model.

My purpose is to encourage you to model your prayers after the Scriptures. Not in a word-for-word manner, but in a manner that models prayers after the focus of the teachings in the Scriptures. These posts will focus on prayers that I have written that I believe reflect sound exegesis of the Scriptures. However, I will include some study notes upon the texts and also quotations of great works that I believe will stimulate you towards worship and godly meditation upon the Word of God.

I have penned these words to demonstrate how exciting our prayers should be, with the sad realization that my prayers are often dull and monotonous. So, to a great degree, I do this for myself.

May the Scriptures ignite our souls with the fire of divine fellowship with our Lord.

Acts 2: The Gospel

This past Sunday, we enjoyed fellowship and worship. Our text for the sermon continued to be Peter's sermon in the second chapter of Acts. This time, my purpose in the message was to focus upon the Gospel message from this text. Perhaps the aspect that stood out most to me was the Gospel's presentation of the person of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not merely about Jesus, it is intrinsically centered upon Him.

Peter says, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene..." He does not skip to what Jesus did or what Jesus has now made possible without immediately and primarily presenting to his audience Jesus himself. You do not know the Gospel if you do not know Jesus. You may have an understanding of sin, and understanding of repentance. You may know that faith is essential and that salvation is of grace. But if you do not know Jesus and therefore know these wonderful things that are also part of the Gospel, than you know nothing of the Gospel presented in the Scriptures. In John's words:

1 John 1:1-3 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

We may not have seen Him with our eyes, heard Him with our ears, or touched Him with our hands, but through faith, we know Jesus. We have fellowship with Him. May He grant to us this knowledge through His great grace!

"Multifaceted" Wisdom

Several weeks ago, there was quite a stir over Barack Obama and the church to which he belongs. Typically, I avoid involvement in politics and talk radio, and this would have not been an exception, except one thing stood out to me. Obama stated that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week in America. His point brings up a stark reality that there is in many cases a strong separation between churches of different racial backgrounds.

There was much reaction to this statement. I heard many discussions around me in person, on the radio, and elsewhere. And as I listened to the responses, my heart sank. I have harbored a very passionate reaction to this, but I have held it back to let the emotion pass and hopefully allow the very critical issues to be considered.

First of all, let me state that I am glad that the issue was brought up and I hope that it brings about something good, especially in the Body of Christ. But I do want to point out one exception to Obama's statement. I do not believe "segregated" is the right word. Instead, I believe that the word "separated" would be very appropriate. To me, "segregation" implies a purposeful and proactive attempt to keep one people group from being integrated with the other. I do not know of a single church or a single pastor that has ever purposefully and proactively sought to keep people away from their church on the basis of race.

However, I do think that it is an appropriate point of discussion to consider the "separation" of racial groups in churches today. I do not want to begin a discussion of why this separation exists, though it may be a useful exercise and good for harmony in the Body of Christ. But I just wanted to share a passage of Scripture that I think should come to our minds in light of this issue.

In Ephesians, Paul discusses the greatness of the Body of Christ. As we went through Ephesians as a church, we were all changed. The Word of God powerfully worked upon our hearts and by the Spirit we were challenged to a new understanding of the importance of the Body of Christ. We saw the need to love, to forgive, and to be involved in one another's lives. Throughout the epistle, we are reminded over and over that the Body of Christ - the living Temple - is great and glorious.

In the second chapter, Paul speaks of the wonderful work of Christ in making one Body, out of two groups: the Jews and the Gentiles. If ever there were groups that were racially divided and segregated, these two groups would have been the clearest example. In Ephesian 2:14-22 we see Paul state that the blood of Christ has abolished the dividing wall (the Old Covenant Law) established peace between the two groups. They have been brought into one household, the household of God (His dwelling place).

The language of Ephesians is filled with construction (specifically Temple) imagery. The Body of Christ is shown to be the Temple of the living God. Each member (whether Jew or Gentile) is a part of that structure, and each is instrumental for the good of the others. In chapter 3, Paul speaks further of integration of the Gentiles with the Jews and he makes this statement:

3:10 The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.


There is a construction term in this verse that we need to grasp. The word "multifaceted" is the word to describe the beautiful, multicolored decorations of the temples in the first-century world. (Temples were not a drab gray as we see in their ruins today...they were splendid in color.) In other words, the Body of Christ is composed of all sorts of races. They are all united together. This is the wisdom of God to bring reconciliation in the Body, and just as the temples were colored with beautiful and vibrant decorations and gems, so the Body of Christ is beautiful in the multicolored peoples (races) that compose it.

Let us in the Body of Christ be burdened that racial division still occurs. Let us seek to remove any racism within. Let us see that hatred towards others based upon their race is unloving and sinful. And let us repent when we find it in ourselves.

Now let me add one more thing. There will never be the glorious racial integration spoken of in the Scriptures when we leave the pure Scriptural purposes of the church and seek culture-centered needs instead of biblical truth.

For instance, consider preaching in the modern church. Exposition of the Scriptures in preaching will unite us under the banner of our Lord. It does not matter what our racial background is or our social status is when the Word is proclaimed. Being black, white, rich, poor does not affect our ability to seek the Kingdom of God through the Word. But, if the preachers in our churches abandon the Word, we quickly see the results of separation. The seeker-sensitive suburban churches that teach about the felt needs of 20-30 year old white Americans will not be attractive for those who are outside the demographic. The churches that preach sermons dominated by themes of social injustice and of frustration for specific groups without regards for others also increase the separation.

Let us return to the Word! Let us seek the glory of our Lord! And let us love one another and value one another, regardless of race or social status. May God grant us this power which will work within us far more abundantly beyond all that we think or ask, and to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus!

Acts 2: Judgment

Since I am late again posting, here is a quick summary of the sermon last Sunday.

This past Sunday, we looked at Acts 2 and focused on the judgment of God the was revealed at Pentecost.

I laid out my approach in three headings:

1. The Pouring out of the Holy Spirit is connected with the beginnings of the New Covenant Kingdom. We have seen this over the past few months as we have started Acts and as we looked previously at the significance of the Holy Spirit in regards to the New Covenant.

2. The Coming of the New Covenant Kingdom is associated with Judgment on the old kingdom. As we saw from our previous studies in Isaiah 5 and Luke 20, the Kingdom of God was about to be revealed and given to a people who were not previously God's people. Instead, the Old Covenant people were being judged for their unfaithfulness through this.

3. The Pouring out of the Holy Spirit is connection with the Judgment on the Old Covenant people of God. We see Isaiah 28 (and other passages) being fulfilled with the extraordinary tongues of God spoke in a way that some of the Old Covenant people did not understand, even though others were able to hear the great deeds of God.

As we finished our time together, I took us to Romans 9-11 to see that we ought to have humility as we consider our faith and salvation. For just as God brought an end to the Old Covenant and poured out His promised wrath upon the Old Covenant people, so too there is a judgment to come for all. This fear should always keep us clinging to the Gospel through faith and also keep us proclaiming the Good News to others!

Acts 2: The Spirit and Salvation

"It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

This past Sunday, we began looking at Acts 2. My plan is to continue in Acts 2 over the next several weeks and see the different themes that shine forth throughout this wonderful chapter. This week, we spent time looking at the salvation revealed as promised by the prophets.

The prophet Joel warned his people that though it seemed like things could not get any worse, they should take heed. God's judgment was near, "Who can endure it?" (Joel 2.11). Yet in the midst of God's judgment on the Old Covenant people, the prophet calls the people to repentance again and then states a glorious hope. One day, God has promised to pour out His Spirit (Joel 2.28) and it will come about that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2.32).

In Acts 2, we see the undeniable proof of the outpouring of the Spirit and Peter declares that Joel's words were now fulfilled. May God be praised! Selah.

Then the text shows us the power of the Spirit - the power of the Gospel - and 3,000 people called upon the name of the Lord Jesus by the mercy of God and were saved!

Truly our God is merciful and faithful! Truly the Spirit's power is real and effectual! Consider these disciples and the apostles. They had walked with the Lord for many years, experiencing his wisdom in teaching and seeing his glory. But now He has been put to death by those in political and religious power. The followers of our Lord had no power to respond. The risen Lord then appears to them and Jesus teaches them of the Kingdom and commands them to wait in Jerusalem until power comes upon them - the power of the promised Spirit.

Until this point, the followers of Jesus had no power, no ability, no wisdom to take the message of the crucified Lord, the atoning work of Jesus, nor even the news that He is risen and hold that message as a light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. But now, the moment the Spirit came in power, as Jesus promised, Peter stands and declares to those who opposed Jesus that they are guilty of His blood. They crucified the promised Messiah.

Now these believers have boldness. They have no fear of the religious and political leaders who just crucified Jesus and would want to do the same to them. Christ has now given power and authority to those in His kingdom. They will now go forth from here in Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and then onward to the remote parts of the world. The Gospel will not be stopped. And all of this is due to the power of the Holy Spirit, promised to be poured out on God's people.

The text also shows us that God had gathered a remnant of Israel that had been dispersed. During Pentecost, many Jews had returned to Jerusalem from the list of many far away places as found in Acts 2:5-11. As God had promised, he would gather a remnant and bring them redemption through the Gospel.

We often look upon Calvary and see the atoning work of Christ...and we should often do this! Though we have been redeemed and we are forever secured by His grace as believers, in our weakness and in our sins, we continue to ever look to the blood of Christ and seek its cleansing power by faith. So too, though the promised Spirit has been poured out upon the Church (to the Jews in Acts 2, later to be given to the Gentiles) and the Gospel will go forth by its power, let us look back to Pentecost and be reminded that without the Spirit, we would not see the Gospel go forth. Without the Spirit, we would not have the boldness or wisdom to proclaim the Gospel to our friends, or family, our neighbors. And therefore, if we find that we are not as bold and faithful to share the Gospel as we should, let us beseech the Lord to empower us with His promised Spirit and send us forth as His servants to proclaim the Good News and see His kingdom expand!

Study: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Sorry for posting this so late!

Last Wednesday evening, we gathered for prayer and study. Our text was from 1 Peter 5 and we made it through the first four verses.

As a bi-vocational pastor, this passage stirs up many thoughts and emotions for me. Our discussion on Wednesday led us through many of these thoughts.

First, there is a beauty found in the sovereignly-gifted church. God has filled the Body with pastors and teachers and gifted each person in order that we can all build one another up towards the fullness of Christ himself (see Ephesians). Peter exhorts the pastors to shepherd the flock out of selflessness and humility. The pastoral ministry is one of love, compassion, and work.

I am thankful for God's grace and power in my life. Prior to my conversion, I was very much introverted, unless there was a self-seeking reason to be otherwise. I didn't have any sense of earnest compassion for others and I would avoid contact if at all possible. I definitely did not desire to have empathy for others in their needs and struggles.

Immediately after my conversion, my whole life changed. The Lord did not simply open my eyes to see my need of redemption, but He opened my eyes to see that others needed the Gospel, that others needed encouragement, and that others needed to be fed from the Word of God. It was a complete change in my life, in my desires and personality.

Eventually, I found that my desires were to shepherd as a pastor. Now, after being in the pastoral ministry for over ten years, this passage from 1 Peter 5 still resonates with passion and power.

I am very grateful to God for all of the men whom have crossed my path by the sovereign plan and purpose of God. For the past eight years, Stan has been my partner in the ministry and has challenged me, encouraged me, and loved me. All of this has been needed. I am grateful for each member at Heritage, showing forth grace and love towards me, a pastor not worthy of this calling, but strengthened by God and by His people.

Last Wednesday we talked a lot about the dangers that are before many churches and pastors in this day and culture. Especially in Baptist churches, the pastoral ministry is very fragile. Often, pastors are only with a church for a few years before leaving. The ministry is often treated in a very corporate fashion, and is sometimes sought for monetary gain and personal pride rather than for an abiding love for the congregation.

But I am thankful for those whom I see serving out of a pure heart, not for sordid gain and not pridefully lording their position over the people. It is truly a labor of love and the reflection of the work of the Great Shepherd.

Called to be an Ignoramus

Last evening, my wife returned from the ladies' study and we stayed up late talking about Lloyd-Jones' chapter on the Mortification of Sin. As a commentary on the passage "Make no provision for the flesh", Lloyd-Jones states:

"There is a fire within you; never bring any oil anywhere near it, because if you do there will be a flame, and there will be trouble."

He speaks of the media of the day, newspapers and books, and warns not to read those things that will contain things that are suggestive and draw our minds from holiness to vain things, to sinful things. The argument of some is that we need to keep up on the happenings of the day, we need to be educated or else we shall be considered as an ignoramus. Lloyd-Jones replies:

"Our Lord's reply is that, for the sake of your soul, you had better be an ignoramus, if you know it does harm to know these things. Even the most valued thing must be sacrificed."

In this day, we are faced with even more numerous avenues of graphic and intense exposure to sin. Let us each be a blissful ignoramus for the sake of holiness and for the glory of our Lord!

Camp Del Haven

As spring has arrived, we at Heritage are reminded that Camp Del Haven's camping season will be here before we know it! I thought I would post a few things about this wonderful ministry so that we will each be able to pray more earnestly for the Lord to shower His blessings of mercy upon those in attendance.

Del Haven Memorial Chapel

For those of you who may not know, Camp Del Haven provides an opportunity for children to experience a week of camp for free. Currently, most of the children who are invited to the camp come from homes where one or both parents are incarcerated.

During a week of camp each child can expect to experience a memorable experience through various typical summer camp activities such as: swimming, campfires, and other outdoor games and sports. The children take part nature study, crafts, singing, Bible Studies, and opportunities for memorizing Scriptures.

While Camp Del Haven gives these children a week of fun and escape from the pressures and struggles of their life, the main focus is, and always has been, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. It is an incredible opportunity!

As partners in ministry with Del Haven, let us be ambassadors for Christ by doing the following:

• Let us pray earnestly even now for those children who will attend the camp this summer by God's providential hand. May God prepare their hearts and protect them from all things that would harden them from faith. May God's mercy begin directing them to understand the weight of sin, the need of redemption, and the perfect atoning work of Jesus the Lord!
  
• Let us pray for the camp staff who have diligently worked for many years so that this ministry would continue the work of the Gospel. May God grant them peace and strength. May God provide all of their needs, personally and for the camp as well.
• Let us pray for the counselors who will volunteer. As the Lord to provide many who love Him, who are obedient to the faith, and who are willing to show forth Christ-like love.

For our men's fellowship in April, we are planning to go out and do some work at Del Haven to help prepare for the coming camp season. Please contact me if you would like me information.

For more information on Camp Del Haven, and to find out ways you can volunteer to help, please visit their website.