Camp Peniel Teen 1 Week

Night fell upon Camp Peniel that Friday evening. Cabin #1 lined up right outside of the cabins. “Do you have the song you’re going to sing?” Ms. Wolf asked our counselor, Miss Banks. Miss Banks replied with the song, Bow the Knee. I smiled. My favorite hymn was This is my Father’s World, and my second favorite was Bow the Knee.

We began to walk down the gravel path that was filled with pointy rocks that would stick up into the foam of our flip-flops. As we walked, we sang the song. Some of the campers didn’t know the song, so I tried singing loud to make up for them. We sang:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2aSOEhs0c0&feature=related

¯What a privilege to come into God’s presence-

Just to linger with the one who set me free-

As I lift my eyes and see his awesome glory-

I remember who he is and bow the knee. ¯

Chorus: ¯Bow the knee!              Bow the knee!

Bow the knee!            Bow the knee!

He is King of all the ages – Bow the knee!

God alone-           On His throne-

God alone-           On His throne-

Sing it high and lift it up and bow the knee!

Kneel before him-

All adore him-

As you live to love him more,

And bow the knee. ¯

¯In his hands he holds the power of Creation-

With his voice he spoke and all things came to be-

Yet he hears each simple prayer I bring before him-

When I humbly seek his face and bow the knee. ¯

Chorus:

Our cabin reached the fire pit. A warm glow emitted from the bonfire. Cracking wood shot sparks that looked like fireflies into the night sky. We took our seats on the hard, wooden logs.

After a few minutes once we had gotten settled, I heard another cabin come through the cleared out, grassy pathway. They sang, Seek ye First.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ifVNaN8pY

¯Seek ye first the kingdom of God-

And his righteousness-

And all these things shall be added onto you-

Hallelu- Hallelujah. ¯

Chorus: ¯Hallelujah- Hallelu- Hallelujah!

Hallelujah- Hallelu- Hallelujah. ¯

I heard some other songs as well as campers in different cabins entered the clearing. From where I was sitting, I could see the sky. God had filled the sky with flashes of lightning, yet it did not rain, putting our fire out. As it did this, a lyric came to my head –

¯The heavens declare the glory of God! ¯

Once everyone was seated, we sang songs, and many people gave testimonies. One camper had gotten saved that week. Others had grown more in Christ our Savior.

The wood popped, and fell over. It didn’t take long before the bonfire became so small that it looked like a one person’s camp fire. My eyes felt tired as I watched the flames flicker. I was entertained with the orange fireworks that came from the camp fire, danced to the sky, and disappeared in the middle of the air.

Behind me, I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and saw that M.S. had stood up to give her testimony of that week. Once she had sat down, the very next person was B.R.

Before, I had thought about telling my testimony, but once I had gotten there, I couldn’t remember what I was going to say. Now, I remembered. I was about to raise my hand, when someone else did… then someone else… and someone else. They were all good testimonies, and so I waited for them to be done.

“Okay, we’ll sing one final song and be done,” The instructor said. Well, I guess everyone couldn’t say something.

We sang the song, and got up to leave. I used my flashlight to go back, but Miss Banks came up next to me with her flashlight, which was so bright that it made mine pointless. I turned my flashlight off, and continued walking.

Down the gravel path again. I looked up and saw that the sky continued to flash with lightning. Crickets chirped in the bushes. The lake was so still that it looked like smooth, black, glass. The moonlight reflected off of the lake, and a small cool breeze blew throughout the camp.

It was the perfect ending to a wonderful week.

***

I love Camp Peniel. The people there are always great, and it seems like no matter who is speaking, they really show God not just in their preaching but in their life as well. Pastor Brent was the speaker that week. He took hard pieces of scripture and explained it so well that I doubt anyone at that camp did not understand it.

I was in Cabin #1 (Red Team), and my counselors were Miss Banks, as you read in the short storyline, and Miss Becca. Both of them were probably the best counselors I ever had.

As always, the food was amazing, and the staff appeared to work hard to make the week go smoothly. At the end, Blue Team won, but that doesn’t matter when the whole week was fun and enjoyable.

The week was awesome, but right now, I am happy to be at home with air-conditioning and a bug-free (mostly) house.

                                                                                                      J The End J

Better written (Let Freedom Ring)

Again today, I was reading through the blogs that I follow, and it seems like God’s Promises are Real had the same idea as me when I wrote Let Freedom Ring. I think she wrote it better though, so I think I’ll attach it:

 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD  (Psalm 33:12a)

I want to say a few words today as we celebrate in America the birth of our nation.  We have been a people who have been blessed by our God and he has shed his grace upon us.  I am  fortunate to live in a nation that was founded by men and women of extreme courage and dedication.  I am grateful for all those who are in service to America and who risk their lives  so that we may live and worship in freedom .  We can never truly thank them enough.  I pray God’s blessings and favor upon them all.
With all that said, as we watch as darkness and evil fill this earth, the question still  remains ”Are you truly set free?“.   The bondage of sin can cause havoc and destruction in your life no matter where you live and how much money and power you  have.  Each day I watch with sadness as people choose to live their life in the chains of the enemy who has blinded them to the fact that they are perishing as they walk the path of death. They are not free.  They are deceived! Without Christ, there is no freedom for your life.  You can have all you think is good but you will never be truly happy because your hope to be victorious in this world comes only in being surrendered to Christ!  He is the one who sets the prisoners free so that we no longer have to be held captive in the trap of sin.  Christ is our power over the darkness and our hope when we come to the end of ourselves and have nowhere else to turn.  There is always a way for God to help you.  You can never fall too far that his grace cannot lift you.
What does it serve you to live in a worldly freedom when you come to the end of your life?  It is only when your life is in Christ that you can have peace no matter what you face.  He has conquered all of your enemies and death no longer has any power over you.   Money, fame and even earthly freedom can never give you that!
I want to include a few quotes from our Founding Fathers that show the heart of those who once led this country with truth.  Read them over and ponder how far we have come from this once ideal.
“And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?  That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.”  Thomas Jefferson, Signer and Principal Author of the Declaration of Independence; Third President of the United States.
“Is it not that in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? – that it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation?  Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”   John Quincy Adams: Statesman; Diplomat; Sixth President of the United States.
“One of the beautiful boast of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is part of the Common Law…there never has been a period in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundations… I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society.” Joseph Story: U.S. Supreme Court Justice; “Father of American Jurisprudence,” Placed on the Court by President james Madison.
” We are a Christian people…not because the law demands it, not to gain exclusive benefits or to avoid legal disabilities, but from choice and education; and in a land thus universally Christian, what is to be expected, what desired, but that we shall pay due regard to Christianity?” Senate Judiciary Committee Report, January 19, 1853
Who is fighting for those ideals now?  Too many people are being deceived by the enemy. My friends, our freedom has been bought at a price of the blood of Jesus Christ.  All that we have and the future with hope that we aspire to has been given to us by Him.  You can make a choice today to have real freedom that releases you from the bonds of every pain, addiction and trouble that the earth sends your way.  This world is passing away.  Only those things that stand the test of fire shall live on.  Only that which we surrender to Christ can we keep.  Be blessed this day.  You no longer have to be sold out to the enemy and live as a puppet of his schemes.  You have a choice.  Choose to live in the freedom of Christ.  No one can take you from his hands or rob you of the destiny he planned for you.  That is a freedom you can celebrate!

                                                     

Dear Father,  I lift up to you those who are struggling to be free.  I pray for those who are suffering in trials of every kind and who need to know that you can meet them in any situation and that you have the power to take them to victory no matter how impossible their situation seems.  Give them your peace this day, dear Jesus.  Let them understand that you love is enough and that you will never fail them.
I pray also for those are in restricted nations where to be a Christian is a death sentence.  I pray for you to touch those who are persecuted, tortured and imprisoned for their faith.  I pray that you will reach them with a joy that surpasses their understanding.  May they know that you are with them to the end. 
Lord Jesus, show those who come to this site what real freedom in you can mean.  Amen

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4^th of July, everyone! I hope you enjoy cookouts, parades, and the fireworks tonight. Today is the day that we celebrate our independence. Our freedom. Freedom from what? For what? We have freedom to serve God without worrying about persecution. That’s a gift from God that we seem not to think about most days.

America was founded because a group of people wished to serve God freely. Now that we have that freedom, how many of us use it? To me, the Fourth of July is a reminder that we are only free under the rule of God. Most people think that the word free has to do with breaking away from something, which it does. It also has to do with being free to do something.

If we are Christians, we are free from the bondage of sin, and free to worship God and obey Him. In America, we gained the freedom to worship God and obey Him openly without being persecuted. Being a Christian already makes you free. Free from sin.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is this. We all know what we are free from. We’re free from the rule from England. That’s in our history books. That’s obvious. But what are you free to do? Are you free from sin? Are you free to serve God?

This Fourth of July, I challenge you to think about what you are free to do. Find out what the words free and freedom mean to you.

Definition of Free: having no obligations or commitments

As said before, we are free to worship God. Isn’t that an obligation? Absolutely not! We have a choice of whether or not to worship Him. We should want to worship Him, though. I find it sad that some people think that it is an obligation.

I’m probably not the right person to be talking about this. I’m kind of confusing myself as I write. But it makes you think, doesn’t it? On Independence Day, we throw around the word free without thinking about what we are free from and free to do.

…One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

So, let’s remember who this country was founded on and for.

God bless the U.S.A! :D