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Blast from the Past

Testimonies and other Things

During the week we had several testimonies which we would like to share in this section.

Heat and Insects – when we arrived at camp on Sunday June 24, it was very hot and the insects seemed to be very friendly (much to the dismay of some at camp). That evening at campfire I walked over to Danny Goold and whispered if we should pray to have God tell the insects to be kind and leave us alone. Danny suggested that Edward and he pray quietly to remedy these problems. I returned to my seat at campfire to pray and a little while later, Carl stood and suggested the whole camp pray the insects away. To Carl’s request, Danny and others stood and prayed for the whole camp. Later in the campfire, I felt that I needed to stand and tell the camp that God was telling us that it was good that Edward and Danny had this desire to pray away the insects but the campers needed to bring this request forward as opposed to Edward and Danny fixing the problem quietly through prayer. The reason is that the campers would not know why the bugs were gone. As a people we grow in the Spirit when we ask and not when one or two perform an act that is unknown to the group. When Carl stood, his request solidified the group to ask in unity for God to intercede. The result was that the group will grow to trust God when they unite to ask God to move in our lives. I also felt that God was pleased when the youth turned to him for help. At the same time, God responded with a question. The question was “Are you willing to endure the insects and heat for me?” Not because he wanted us to suffer but because he desired we endure in faith our persecutions (trials and tribulations) in hopes that after the trials come his blessings. As a whole, the camp replaced the concern for the heat and insects with the desire to help each other. Even as their desire increased to help each other (that night) the weather patterns began to change slightly. It first began with a gentle breeze. And in the next days, the weather pattern changed to cooler temperatures with rain and the insects seemed to disappear (at least they were not in the top ten attention getters for the remainder of the week). We were a blessed people for the remainder of the week. It seems that when we place our attention on the needs of others those little things such as insects and weather become low on our list of priorities.

Our Pride – On Wednesday, we had an exercise where we wrote on a piece of paper our pride or our faults and then prayed for each other. This exercise allowed us to become vulnerable in that other people would know our sin. Everyone then paired up to pray for each other. We prayed that God would remove that sin from our life. We then switch and prayed for someone else. By the end of the exercise we have prayed for over 10 people each. This exercise opened us up for change to take place. It seems that so many times we hide our sin even from God. The problem is that hidden sin becomes a weight and a trap used by the Devil to claim us as his. When we freely expose our own sins, they can be taken from us. In fact, Jesus who is King requires a tribute from us. We know that on entering the presence of the King there is protocol we must follow. This protocol is similar to the protocol used when a judge enters the courtroom. The only difference is that in the presence of a judge we stand until we are allowed to be reseated. However, in the presence of the King we must present him with a gift or a tribute. We may ask ourselves, what tribute or gift do we have to offer a king who created the earth, the sun, the stars and all that exists? What gift or tribute would be great enough to honor the King of Kings? As we reflect all the great things we have accomplished and all the people we have impacted, perhaps the greatest gift we can give the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings is our sinful nature. Therefore, let us weep and bow low to the ground and give him our sin that in return we would be able to receive his grace.

Tools for personal Transformation – Even though this topic was not directly addressed throughout camp this week, the principles of personal transformation were present in all discussions. The following are some principles of transformation.

•         Hope – No matter how bad things seem; there is a way out of your troubles; to a life of peace and happiness

•         Taking Responsibility – Is what you sow today what you want to reap tomorrow?

•         Confession – Are you afraid to admit the truth about yourself and share it with others? Would you rather hide? Are you more concerned what the Devil thinks of you than what God thinks of you?

•         Repentance – Change through Action. Ok, I am taking responsibility and I am willing to confess, Now am I ready to change?

•         Scripture Study – understanding how things work in God’s world as opposed to how they work in the world around me

•         Prayer – opening the lines of communication with God and creating a meaningful dialogue

•         Fasting – learning how to really love others through denying yourself

•         Charity – the pure love of Jesus Christ - the characteristics of a real and impacting love

•         Man’s work – to be obedient to the commandments of God – to love God and his Neighbor– We are called to display Love and Honor towards others

•         Understanding Free Will – God’s Gift of Free Will ensures man the ultimate choice in all things

•         Meeting Together Often – Finding a support network to encourage the change toward Spiritual Transformation