The foreboding words of House Stark: "Winter Is Coming". They carry the meaning that life will not always be sunshine and roses, and that preparation for hard times is needed.
I've been reading in Acts about the early church. All of the Apostles, except John, were killed for preaching Jesus. Killed for talking and healing people. Jesus Himself was crucified for talking and healing people. The establishment didn't like it, but if Jesus' teachings were false then why kill Him? Why not just denounce Him as a lunatic and ignore Him? And, not only that, if His teachings were false, and He was killed and stayed dead, why did these Apostles die claiming He had resurrected and that He was the Way? I agree w/ Gemaliel in Acts who advised his religious colleagues to ignore the Apostles because they would eventually go away if Jesus were false, but if Jesus were true then opposing the Apostles would be opposing God! Gemaliel was a member of the religious authority in that time. I am not an Apologist. I make no claims at wisdom. I just simply state why I believe what I believe. The sacrifices of these Apostles, the complete changes seen in them as well as Paul, speak volumes to me. I don't want to suffer, yet I'm called to pick up my cross and follow Jesus. Jesus was brutally murdered. That is my standard. I don't want to suffer. I don't want to die. I want to live peacefully and die old and gray surrounded by grandchildren. Here in America the greatest persecution I face right now is rejection. My life is not at stake. Will I still boldly claim Christ with a gun in my face? I can only hope, but I do not know. Winter is coming...
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
He is Faithful and Just
Hello, readers. Another week has passed. I didn't mean for this to become a once a week thing, and I hope to get more updates in this week, but as for now I'll go with what I've got.
Really nothing out of the ordinary happened last week. Work, school, hanging out. Friday night was a blast :) I spent Saturday and Sunday just relaxing, and it was good. I haven't been this happy in about 3 years.
I seek to drink deep of God's Word, knowing full well that I might drown. In fact, I desire to drown in it. I've been going through Psalms every morning, and oddly enough we've been going through some Psalms at church on Sundays too. We talked about Psalm 22, and there's a lot of similarities between that and Christ's crucifixion. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34). Psalm 22:16-18 talks about evildoers surrounding him (David), piercing his hands and feet, gloating over him, and casting lots for his clothing. Direct parallels are seen in Christ's crucifixion. The gospel writers wanted to make that parallel abundantly clear, not really as a prophecy, but as a way to intimate the similarities. Psalm 23 is a go-to AWANA passage about God being the Good Shepherd and the Good Host. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want..." even non-believers know that. It's like John 3:16, we take it for granted. Still, I love Psalm 23:5 "He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies." I picture that as being alone on a battlefield with a host of enemies in front of me, yet I sit at a table and feast while angels rip through them and God fights for me. Either that or my enemies are prisoners in His presence and they are forced to watch me feast in peace. "His rod and His staff comfort me" Well, yay for sticks :) "He restores my soul". I need restoration daily because I screw up daily. "My cup overflows". God will provide my needs (Philippians 4:19). Psalm 24 is similar to Psalm 15. "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?" (Psalm 24:3). That reminds me of Psalm 15:1. David answers both questions in both chapters. God is the King of Glory. Psalm 25 sees David asking for help to follow God. I cannot, on my own, do what God wants. He literally has to drag me down the path. That's a lot of work for Him, and yet He loves me! David gives himself to God in 25:1-2; he asks God to teach him in 4-5; he asks God not to hold his past sins against him in 6-7. Indeed, that is my prayer too! Psalm 25:10 goes along with Romans 8:28. David asks for help in his loneliness in 16-18. I need help in my alone times because I only have myself to please. I need to focus on Him. I'm so glad I'm not on a "holy points" system. It's not like I can redeem tickets for prizes at Chuck-E-Cheese. I can't come to God with enough holy points to get a wife, or a job, or a nice car, etc. Either He'll give them to me or He won't. I just have to use what He has already given me responsibly so that He can trust me with more. David uses his own righteousness to ask God to protect him in Psalm 26. As I said, I can't redeem holy points, and my 'righteousness' is like filthy rags to God, yet He loves me. He accepts my application that I scribbled on in Crayon with tearful eyes and puts it on His refrigerator. He is proud of me. Why? Only He knows. If I were living in the Old Testament, I would be running out of animals to sacrifice. God does not care about animal blood, He cares about repentance! I see a tendency in today's Christian society to atone for our own sins. If I say the right prayer, or do a penance, or something else, I can square my account with God. Like I could ever be equal with Him! I owe Him my life! I declared war on Him, and He redeemed me. I can never be square with Him! Psalm 27 shows David's confidence in God's protection. God has made His protection known in my life, and I pray He doesn't stop! Psalm 28:7 shows another shield reference :) Psalm 29:2 says "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Just...Do...It! He is the only One who is worthy. Psalm 30:5 says that even though sorrows may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. That's been true in my life. I've had a night I didn't think I'd wake up from, and even though happiness didn't come with the morning, the joy of knowing that God is still on His throne did come, and it comforted me. I was still shattered inside, but I had God. Sin will eat me alive if I don't confess it. Psalm 33 is rich. "Sing to Him a new song" (33:3). Nothing is new to God LoL. Still, singing to Him is awesome. Psalm 33:20 is another shield reference :)
On Sunday we talked about Psalm 21, and since I am on Psalm 34, it was refreshing to go back and take another look. We worship God because He is faithful and just. We do not worship Him only when we perceive Him being faithful and just to our benefit. We worship Him because He is faithful and just all the time. He is unchanging. His love is steadfast. Sin will be punished. Hell is a place where sin will be punished and imprisoned so that it will no longer be a threat to those who believe. "The blessing of Hell"...chew on that one :) God promises that He will take care of His own. I am one of His own. Not because I'm special, but because He forgave me. You can be one of His too, dear reader. He's waiting for you to answer His call. This is deadly serious. I worship Him because He is mighty. I worship Him because He is steadfast in His love. His Word sustains me. He is Faithful and He is Just. He will discipline me for my sins, and that correction will lead to growth. Because of His Son, His wrath is no longer on me. His wrath will pour out against all unrepentant sin, however. It is coming. He will come back in His glory, and nothing will stand in His path. Revelation 19. Ultimately, I worship God because He is King.
Well, dear reader, some good things are happening in my life. I'd appreciate some prayer for protection and growth. I have a current awesome situation, and I cannot wait to see how it develops. I have to take it one day at a time. I commit each step I take to God. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul :) Until next time, dear reader.
For the Kingdom
-Stuart
Really nothing out of the ordinary happened last week. Work, school, hanging out. Friday night was a blast :) I spent Saturday and Sunday just relaxing, and it was good. I haven't been this happy in about 3 years.
I seek to drink deep of God's Word, knowing full well that I might drown. In fact, I desire to drown in it. I've been going through Psalms every morning, and oddly enough we've been going through some Psalms at church on Sundays too. We talked about Psalm 22, and there's a lot of similarities between that and Christ's crucifixion. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34). Psalm 22:16-18 talks about evildoers surrounding him (David), piercing his hands and feet, gloating over him, and casting lots for his clothing. Direct parallels are seen in Christ's crucifixion. The gospel writers wanted to make that parallel abundantly clear, not really as a prophecy, but as a way to intimate the similarities. Psalm 23 is a go-to AWANA passage about God being the Good Shepherd and the Good Host. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want..." even non-believers know that. It's like John 3:16, we take it for granted. Still, I love Psalm 23:5 "He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies." I picture that as being alone on a battlefield with a host of enemies in front of me, yet I sit at a table and feast while angels rip through them and God fights for me. Either that or my enemies are prisoners in His presence and they are forced to watch me feast in peace. "His rod and His staff comfort me" Well, yay for sticks :) "He restores my soul". I need restoration daily because I screw up daily. "My cup overflows". God will provide my needs (Philippians 4:19). Psalm 24 is similar to Psalm 15. "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?" (Psalm 24:3). That reminds me of Psalm 15:1. David answers both questions in both chapters. God is the King of Glory. Psalm 25 sees David asking for help to follow God. I cannot, on my own, do what God wants. He literally has to drag me down the path. That's a lot of work for Him, and yet He loves me! David gives himself to God in 25:1-2; he asks God to teach him in 4-5; he asks God not to hold his past sins against him in 6-7. Indeed, that is my prayer too! Psalm 25:10 goes along with Romans 8:28. David asks for help in his loneliness in 16-18. I need help in my alone times because I only have myself to please. I need to focus on Him. I'm so glad I'm not on a "holy points" system. It's not like I can redeem tickets for prizes at Chuck-E-Cheese. I can't come to God with enough holy points to get a wife, or a job, or a nice car, etc. Either He'll give them to me or He won't. I just have to use what He has already given me responsibly so that He can trust me with more. David uses his own righteousness to ask God to protect him in Psalm 26. As I said, I can't redeem holy points, and my 'righteousness' is like filthy rags to God, yet He loves me. He accepts my application that I scribbled on in Crayon with tearful eyes and puts it on His refrigerator. He is proud of me. Why? Only He knows. If I were living in the Old Testament, I would be running out of animals to sacrifice. God does not care about animal blood, He cares about repentance! I see a tendency in today's Christian society to atone for our own sins. If I say the right prayer, or do a penance, or something else, I can square my account with God. Like I could ever be equal with Him! I owe Him my life! I declared war on Him, and He redeemed me. I can never be square with Him! Psalm 27 shows David's confidence in God's protection. God has made His protection known in my life, and I pray He doesn't stop! Psalm 28:7 shows another shield reference :) Psalm 29:2 says "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Just...Do...It! He is the only One who is worthy. Psalm 30:5 says that even though sorrows may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. That's been true in my life. I've had a night I didn't think I'd wake up from, and even though happiness didn't come with the morning, the joy of knowing that God is still on His throne did come, and it comforted me. I was still shattered inside, but I had God. Sin will eat me alive if I don't confess it. Psalm 33 is rich. "Sing to Him a new song" (33:3). Nothing is new to God LoL. Still, singing to Him is awesome. Psalm 33:20 is another shield reference :)
On Sunday we talked about Psalm 21, and since I am on Psalm 34, it was refreshing to go back and take another look. We worship God because He is faithful and just. We do not worship Him only when we perceive Him being faithful and just to our benefit. We worship Him because He is faithful and just all the time. He is unchanging. His love is steadfast. Sin will be punished. Hell is a place where sin will be punished and imprisoned so that it will no longer be a threat to those who believe. "The blessing of Hell"...chew on that one :) God promises that He will take care of His own. I am one of His own. Not because I'm special, but because He forgave me. You can be one of His too, dear reader. He's waiting for you to answer His call. This is deadly serious. I worship Him because He is mighty. I worship Him because He is steadfast in His love. His Word sustains me. He is Faithful and He is Just. He will discipline me for my sins, and that correction will lead to growth. Because of His Son, His wrath is no longer on me. His wrath will pour out against all unrepentant sin, however. It is coming. He will come back in His glory, and nothing will stand in His path. Revelation 19. Ultimately, I worship God because He is King.
Well, dear reader, some good things are happening in my life. I'd appreciate some prayer for protection and growth. I have a current awesome situation, and I cannot wait to see how it develops. I have to take it one day at a time. I commit each step I take to God. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul :) Until next time, dear reader.
For the Kingdom
-Stuart
Monday, July 11, 2011
Back in Athens
Well it's been a week since my last entry, and a lot has happened. Don't worry, readers, I haven't forgotten about you.
The past week was one of transition. The Tuesday after the Fourth (that would be July 5 for those of you keeping score) I dropped my mother off at the airport, packed my truck, and headed back to Athens. It really hurt to have to leave Icthus, but I knew that coming back to my Watkinsville First Baptist Church family was a blessing. I returned to find that no less than 3 of my Fight Club buddies entered into dating relationships while I was gone. The number of single Fight Club guys is declining LoL. I'm happy for all of them. If you're reading this, you know who you are :) I was able to relax when I got back to Athens. God protected my apartment, so all glory to Him for that. I was able to clean up, get a haircut, buy groceries, etc. I started work on the 6th with great bosses and great co-workers. I'm blessed to have this job :) If you know me, then you know what job it is. I was also able to sit in on the WFBC middle school guys Bible study Wednesday night. We leaders just supervised, and it was awesome. I got to hang out w/ some good friends afterward too. Thursday I had work, and then I went to the "Epic" college Bible study that's going on this summer. "Epic" is the name, even though I use the adjective more than any person should. It's like Fight Club, but co-ed and with Christ Community Church tag-teaming with us. The small group I was in was intense. I had a great weekend spent with good friends. I attended my first ever "Honey-Do" wedding shower. It's a wedding shower for the groom. I always thought showers were feminine things. I am apparently wrong, and I can admit when I am wrong :) It was a great time. Congrats to the happy couple! You know who you are. So, needless to say, it's been a pretty busy week but a very good one :)
I didn't forsake Scripture, though my study declined in intensity :( I felt that loss. I read Psalm 19 and Psalm 20. Psalm 19:1 says "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." That coincides with Romans 1:19-20 "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Basically, God is evident in His creation, and creation itself cries out to Him. The verse that sticks out to me the most is Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." That verse has been hanging in my bathroom at home my entire life. It's a lot to think about. My words and my thoughts, my desires should be acceptable in the Lord's sight. Most of the time they aren't, unfortunately. I can't claim ignorance. When I sin, I know I sin, and that makes it suck even more. That is a daily meditation that I need, and it ties back to Psalm 1:2: "but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night." Sometimes I get so caught up in reading quantity of Scripture, I forget to meditate on a Scripture and apply it to my life. I am thirsty for Scripture, so I drink from the tap. Only, the tap is attached to a dam with an endless sea behind it. When I focus, I desire to drown in it. I desire to let the Spirit fill me to bursting so that I surrender control completely.
I had read Psalm 20 last week, but General Vic preached on it in church this Sunday. (God knows what He is doing!). I found out that the psalm was written by King David so that the congregation, the people, could sing it for him. That sounds conceited right? Well the psalm is written to all kings of Israel after David too, and the psalm lasted. As the king goes, so goes the people. We need to pray for our leaders. Romans 13 talks about how all authority is ordained by God, and that we should obey. We should obey even if it's tyrannical. God says vengeance is His. God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea. God turned Nebuchadnezzar into a raving lunatic. God will have justice. Sometimes He will raise a leader to fight in His name, but make no mistake that it is His power doing it. I heard a sermon by Pastor Andy Stanley that said America isn't a Christian nation because we rebelled against our authority (England). I wouldn't call America a Christian nation, even if it is "one nation under God". Given the religious freedom it is "one nation under whatever god you choose". America is a country that happens to have Christians in it. Rome had Christians in it, and it fell. I'm not going to get political with this blog, but I have been convicted to pray for President Obama. He's our leader, and I pray he makes good decisions. The Israelites knew that if their king obeyed God, things went well for them. If the king disobeyed God, then it went ill for them. Read the Old Testament LoL. That does not mean we should completely relinquish our personal responsibilities to whatever government we are under. The connection is that Jesus is our eternal King. He is also a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. Melchi was the only king/priest combination mentioned briefly in Genesis. Abraham tithed ten percent to him, so he must have been special. In the Israelite culture, the king could not be a priest. The offices were separate. When Saul performed the sacrifice w/o Samuel there, he was cursed and lost his crown. Jesus is the eternal High Priest King. His sacrifice was payment enough.
So, I'm back :) I'll continue to read and grow and share with you what God teaches me. Rock Haven Bible Camp is going on right now in Hasty, Arkansas, and Icthus Session 3 is going on right now in Blue Ridge, Georgia. My heart is divided between the two, and I am praying for both.
If you have any questions, e-mail me at: stuartlkingsley@gmail.com
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
The past week was one of transition. The Tuesday after the Fourth (that would be July 5 for those of you keeping score) I dropped my mother off at the airport, packed my truck, and headed back to Athens. It really hurt to have to leave Icthus, but I knew that coming back to my Watkinsville First Baptist Church family was a blessing. I returned to find that no less than 3 of my Fight Club buddies entered into dating relationships while I was gone. The number of single Fight Club guys is declining LoL. I'm happy for all of them. If you're reading this, you know who you are :) I was able to relax when I got back to Athens. God protected my apartment, so all glory to Him for that. I was able to clean up, get a haircut, buy groceries, etc. I started work on the 6th with great bosses and great co-workers. I'm blessed to have this job :) If you know me, then you know what job it is. I was also able to sit in on the WFBC middle school guys Bible study Wednesday night. We leaders just supervised, and it was awesome. I got to hang out w/ some good friends afterward too. Thursday I had work, and then I went to the "Epic" college Bible study that's going on this summer. "Epic" is the name, even though I use the adjective more than any person should. It's like Fight Club, but co-ed and with Christ Community Church tag-teaming with us. The small group I was in was intense. I had a great weekend spent with good friends. I attended my first ever "Honey-Do" wedding shower. It's a wedding shower for the groom. I always thought showers were feminine things. I am apparently wrong, and I can admit when I am wrong :) It was a great time. Congrats to the happy couple! You know who you are. So, needless to say, it's been a pretty busy week but a very good one :)
I didn't forsake Scripture, though my study declined in intensity :( I felt that loss. I read Psalm 19 and Psalm 20. Psalm 19:1 says "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." That coincides with Romans 1:19-20 "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Basically, God is evident in His creation, and creation itself cries out to Him. The verse that sticks out to me the most is Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." That verse has been hanging in my bathroom at home my entire life. It's a lot to think about. My words and my thoughts, my desires should be acceptable in the Lord's sight. Most of the time they aren't, unfortunately. I can't claim ignorance. When I sin, I know I sin, and that makes it suck even more. That is a daily meditation that I need, and it ties back to Psalm 1:2: "but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night." Sometimes I get so caught up in reading quantity of Scripture, I forget to meditate on a Scripture and apply it to my life. I am thirsty for Scripture, so I drink from the tap. Only, the tap is attached to a dam with an endless sea behind it. When I focus, I desire to drown in it. I desire to let the Spirit fill me to bursting so that I surrender control completely.
I had read Psalm 20 last week, but General Vic preached on it in church this Sunday. (God knows what He is doing!). I found out that the psalm was written by King David so that the congregation, the people, could sing it for him. That sounds conceited right? Well the psalm is written to all kings of Israel after David too, and the psalm lasted. As the king goes, so goes the people. We need to pray for our leaders. Romans 13 talks about how all authority is ordained by God, and that we should obey. We should obey even if it's tyrannical. God says vengeance is His. God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea. God turned Nebuchadnezzar into a raving lunatic. God will have justice. Sometimes He will raise a leader to fight in His name, but make no mistake that it is His power doing it. I heard a sermon by Pastor Andy Stanley that said America isn't a Christian nation because we rebelled against our authority (England). I wouldn't call America a Christian nation, even if it is "one nation under God". Given the religious freedom it is "one nation under whatever god you choose". America is a country that happens to have Christians in it. Rome had Christians in it, and it fell. I'm not going to get political with this blog, but I have been convicted to pray for President Obama. He's our leader, and I pray he makes good decisions. The Israelites knew that if their king obeyed God, things went well for them. If the king disobeyed God, then it went ill for them. Read the Old Testament LoL. That does not mean we should completely relinquish our personal responsibilities to whatever government we are under. The connection is that Jesus is our eternal King. He is also a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. Melchi was the only king/priest combination mentioned briefly in Genesis. Abraham tithed ten percent to him, so he must have been special. In the Israelite culture, the king could not be a priest. The offices were separate. When Saul performed the sacrifice w/o Samuel there, he was cursed and lost his crown. Jesus is the eternal High Priest King. His sacrifice was payment enough.
So, I'm back :) I'll continue to read and grow and share with you what God teaches me. Rock Haven Bible Camp is going on right now in Hasty, Arkansas, and Icthus Session 3 is going on right now in Blue Ridge, Georgia. My heart is divided between the two, and I am praying for both.
If you have any questions, e-mail me at: stuartlkingsley@gmail.com
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
Monday, July 4, 2011
Blessed to be an American
"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)
That verse pretty much sums up my beliefs about America at this point. For my entire life, I've considered myself Conservative. I support my country and I support our troops. America worked hard to become #1, but it wasn't just by hard work. God has blessed this country. Why He sees fit to bless anyone is beyond me, but this past century has been America's time on top. Like the Romans before us, I fear we are declining. Rome decayed from the inside enough that it could be conquered from the outside. I could go on a rant about all that I believe to be wrong with this country, but that's not my purpose. The main problem is sin. My sin, your sin, our sin. My sins are under the blood and forgiven, but I still make mistakes. I still face consequences for my actions here on earth even though I'm forgiven for eternity. If you read the Old Testament, God gets angry. He is a jealous God, and when He sees His people whoring themselves to other idols He gets mad. We are His creation, so He has a right to us just as much as I have a right to a painting I paint or a book I write. "We are His workmanship..." (Ephesians 2:10). Baal didn't make us. Dagon didn't make us. Ra didn't make us. Zeus didn't make us. Etc. God made us in His image. Like a coin bearing the likeness of Caesar, or Washington, we bear God's image. Why He would sully His image on a sinful creature like me, I don't know. He knows though, and He chose me.
It is okay for me to get angry, but only as long as I do not sin. God gets angry, and I can get angry about what makes Him angry. Naturally, I should go on a rant about other people's problems right? Wrong. If we want God to step in and give justice, to get rid of sin altogether, then I'm the first one destroyed. "Vengeance is mine" says the Lord. I know that if someone messes with my family I will get my revenge. God and I will sort out the details later. That's where I am in my growth. There are poor people starving in our own country, but it is NOT our job to give the government all of our money so that they can take care of it. It is MY job to help as best as I can. Still, I have done so little. I pray God increases my heart for those who need me. I love how David Platt asked "What would life be like if a $50,000 income did not necessarily mean a $50,000 lifestyle?" I was blessed to grow up wanting for nothing. If I work hard, I can carve out a piece of this earth, and fight my whole life to keep it. When I die, I can pass it on to someone I love as a legacy. God wonders why I fight for so little. He promises me everything! I am His heir!
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:14-17 ESV)
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?"
(Romans 8:31-32 ESV)
Once again, I'm glad I memorized Romans 8! There are many topics I can get heated about. There are many topics I can debate. I am blessed to have been born in America, even though there are some things I'm not proud of. I love my country, and I will support it as long as it follows God. If there comes a time where God goes one way and America goes another, I will follow God.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
That verse pretty much sums up my beliefs about America at this point. For my entire life, I've considered myself Conservative. I support my country and I support our troops. America worked hard to become #1, but it wasn't just by hard work. God has blessed this country. Why He sees fit to bless anyone is beyond me, but this past century has been America's time on top. Like the Romans before us, I fear we are declining. Rome decayed from the inside enough that it could be conquered from the outside. I could go on a rant about all that I believe to be wrong with this country, but that's not my purpose. The main problem is sin. My sin, your sin, our sin. My sins are under the blood and forgiven, but I still make mistakes. I still face consequences for my actions here on earth even though I'm forgiven for eternity. If you read the Old Testament, God gets angry. He is a jealous God, and when He sees His people whoring themselves to other idols He gets mad. We are His creation, so He has a right to us just as much as I have a right to a painting I paint or a book I write. "We are His workmanship..." (Ephesians 2:10). Baal didn't make us. Dagon didn't make us. Ra didn't make us. Zeus didn't make us. Etc. God made us in His image. Like a coin bearing the likeness of Caesar, or Washington, we bear God's image. Why He would sully His image on a sinful creature like me, I don't know. He knows though, and He chose me.
It is okay for me to get angry, but only as long as I do not sin. God gets angry, and I can get angry about what makes Him angry. Naturally, I should go on a rant about other people's problems right? Wrong. If we want God to step in and give justice, to get rid of sin altogether, then I'm the first one destroyed. "Vengeance is mine" says the Lord. I know that if someone messes with my family I will get my revenge. God and I will sort out the details later. That's where I am in my growth. There are poor people starving in our own country, but it is NOT our job to give the government all of our money so that they can take care of it. It is MY job to help as best as I can. Still, I have done so little. I pray God increases my heart for those who need me. I love how David Platt asked "What would life be like if a $50,000 income did not necessarily mean a $50,000 lifestyle?" I was blessed to grow up wanting for nothing. If I work hard, I can carve out a piece of this earth, and fight my whole life to keep it. When I die, I can pass it on to someone I love as a legacy. God wonders why I fight for so little. He promises me everything! I am His heir!
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:14-17 ESV)
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?"
(Romans 8:31-32 ESV)
Once again, I'm glad I memorized Romans 8! There are many topics I can get heated about. There are many topics I can debate. I am blessed to have been born in America, even though there are some things I'm not proud of. I love my country, and I will support it as long as it follows God. If there comes a time where God goes one way and America goes another, I will follow God.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Nightmare
You know, be careful what you ask for. I've been praying for years that since I'd been compared to the Joseph of Genesis for my servant's heart that I might also develop his abilities as a Dreamer. Same with Daniel being an interpreter of dreams. We talked about Joseph and Daniel at Camp Icthus these past 2 weeks. Well, at 2:55am this morning I woke up after a very vivid nightmare.
I was in the military, but imprisoned with some of my men in a makeshift stockade in the mountains. There were some old bolt-action rifles nearby, and we managed to escape and take them. We discovered that our captors were college-aged students just like us, so it was very hard to shoot them. Somehow we escaped, but we ended up at a Willow Falls-type place that was combined with a circus and all of my Camp Icthus friends were there. I still had my rifle. Then the zombies invaded. Yes, I said it. Zombies. I HATE zombie movies/stories. I do not watch them. I have not watched anything zombie-related in a long time. So, where I can blame my subconscious for the Icthus stuff, I have no idea where the zombies came from. I think I remember it was some huge light in the sky that hit the earth like a bomb, and from that they came. I was terrified, but I fought as best I could. Eventually they stopped coming because the National Guard had gotten involved or something. Then I awoke, in my dream, to find that I had been dreaming, in my dream. And then I woke up in real life.
The terrifying thing wasn't the zombies. It was the strong sense of the end times that I felt through it all. I hesitate to even write it down. A lot of people have mentioned to me that a lot of things mentioned in Revelation have begun happening. I kind of joke and shrug it off because I don't want to dwell on it. Honestly, it's terrifying. I don't want it to happen in my lifetime. I want to live my life, get married, have kids, etc. Who doesn't? Still, it would be just my luck. Don't worry, I don't have any prophecies or dates for it, because nobody knows the hour. I've always wondered what "the dead in Christ shall rise first" would look like. I doubt they'd be walking around like "hey, guys, sup?" I also don't think I'll have to fight them like zombies, since if I'm alive I will be right behind them on the way to the sky (Exit 417). When I awoke in pitch blackness and dead silence, I felt a terrifying presence next to me, so I turned on my computer and read my Bible. I avoided Revelation to prevent scaring myself further.
It was almost half an hour ago, and I'm nowhere near calm enough to sleep. I'm also trying not to think about it too much, but I felt that I had to write it down. I try to write down any vivid dreams that I can remember, and I have to do the good with the bad. I definitely have to pray about it more to see if there is any interpretation, so for now I'm not reading too much into it. As I said, the only thing I really can't blame my subconscious for is the zombies, but it's the rest that scares me.
I guess all I can say is, if you don't believe in Jesus, He is coming back. This time He will come as a King and Conqueror, and nobody will stand against him, though people will try. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Please, please do that now before it is too late. I have no idea when that will be. It could be today :( I pray for the peace that passes all understanding as I write this. This is not a joke, this is real, though many will laugh at me. Habakkuk 2:2 says "Write the vision down on tablets. Make it plain, so he who reads it can run." I have a God-given duty to write stuff down now. Habakkuk heard from God that Judah was about to get destroyed and conquered by Babylon, and he was terrified. I kind of know how he feels, even though mine wasn't specific at all, just a foreboding sense. I'd like it to be nothing, just a nightmare, and forget about it in a day or so. Part of me misses Camp Icthus terribly because I felt so close to God, but now that I'm out of the mountains part of me longs for the routine of Athens. Habakkuk climbed a watchtower to await God's response. I don't have a tower, but I'll continue to seek His will in this. I just felt like I should write it down. Current mood: scared and praying.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
I was in the military, but imprisoned with some of my men in a makeshift stockade in the mountains. There were some old bolt-action rifles nearby, and we managed to escape and take them. We discovered that our captors were college-aged students just like us, so it was very hard to shoot them. Somehow we escaped, but we ended up at a Willow Falls-type place that was combined with a circus and all of my Camp Icthus friends were there. I still had my rifle. Then the zombies invaded. Yes, I said it. Zombies. I HATE zombie movies/stories. I do not watch them. I have not watched anything zombie-related in a long time. So, where I can blame my subconscious for the Icthus stuff, I have no idea where the zombies came from. I think I remember it was some huge light in the sky that hit the earth like a bomb, and from that they came. I was terrified, but I fought as best I could. Eventually they stopped coming because the National Guard had gotten involved or something. Then I awoke, in my dream, to find that I had been dreaming, in my dream. And then I woke up in real life.
The terrifying thing wasn't the zombies. It was the strong sense of the end times that I felt through it all. I hesitate to even write it down. A lot of people have mentioned to me that a lot of things mentioned in Revelation have begun happening. I kind of joke and shrug it off because I don't want to dwell on it. Honestly, it's terrifying. I don't want it to happen in my lifetime. I want to live my life, get married, have kids, etc. Who doesn't? Still, it would be just my luck. Don't worry, I don't have any prophecies or dates for it, because nobody knows the hour. I've always wondered what "the dead in Christ shall rise first" would look like. I doubt they'd be walking around like "hey, guys, sup?" I also don't think I'll have to fight them like zombies, since if I'm alive I will be right behind them on the way to the sky (Exit 417). When I awoke in pitch blackness and dead silence, I felt a terrifying presence next to me, so I turned on my computer and read my Bible. I avoided Revelation to prevent scaring myself further.
It was almost half an hour ago, and I'm nowhere near calm enough to sleep. I'm also trying not to think about it too much, but I felt that I had to write it down. I try to write down any vivid dreams that I can remember, and I have to do the good with the bad. I definitely have to pray about it more to see if there is any interpretation, so for now I'm not reading too much into it. As I said, the only thing I really can't blame my subconscious for is the zombies, but it's the rest that scares me.
I guess all I can say is, if you don't believe in Jesus, He is coming back. This time He will come as a King and Conqueror, and nobody will stand against him, though people will try. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Please, please do that now before it is too late. I have no idea when that will be. It could be today :( I pray for the peace that passes all understanding as I write this. This is not a joke, this is real, though many will laugh at me. Habakkuk 2:2 says "Write the vision down on tablets. Make it plain, so he who reads it can run." I have a God-given duty to write stuff down now. Habakkuk heard from God that Judah was about to get destroyed and conquered by Babylon, and he was terrified. I kind of know how he feels, even though mine wasn't specific at all, just a foreboding sense. I'd like it to be nothing, just a nightmare, and forget about it in a day or so. Part of me misses Camp Icthus terribly because I felt so close to God, but now that I'm out of the mountains part of me longs for the routine of Athens. Habakkuk climbed a watchtower to await God's response. I don't have a tower, but I'll continue to seek His will in this. I just felt like I should write it down. Current mood: scared and praying.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Journey to Glory
God taught me so much at Camp Icthus, but I'll try to explain it to the best of my ability.
First off, there were only 20 campers 1st session, so it was easy to get upset. "Why, God, would you bring only 20 when we have a great speaker like Richard Sharp?". I could just hear God chuckling and saying, "Look what I did with Eleven!" Numbers mean nothing. It only takes one willing heart to change the world. There is a verse in Chronicles that says God is searching for just one willing heart. I want to be that willing heart, even in all of my weakness.
Our theme was "Journey to Glory". It means that Jesus invites us on a journey in this life where He shows us bits and pieces of His glory until we reach our final destination, which is Himself in Heaven. Think of it like a hike. The guide shows you plants, animals, and scenic views that make you go "wow". When you get to the top of the mountain, you can see for miles. The same is true with Jesus. We see bits and pieces along the trail of life, but when we reach Heaven we can see the entire view. We focused on Esther (book of Esther), Joseph (book of Genesis) and Daniel (book of Daniel) mostly. All three characters reached points in their journey where their lives were threatened, and things happened unjustly to them, but God worked everything for good. This journey isn't all roses and rainbows. There will be storms and rocky places too, but we have the blessed assurance that Jesus is right there with us and won't let us go if we are in Him.
Richard Sharp spoke about how to make the private time you spend with God each day better. Start by saying "God, You are..." and give an adjective. Start by praising Him. Then, say "God, You did..." and write down what He did for you the day before. "Think it, Ink it" as Richard Sharp said. Then say "God, you say..." where you read a passage of Scripture and write down what it means in your life. Then say "God, will You..." and pray for something specific that you need (not want) from Him. Then say "God, will You guide me to..." and pray for your future plans. Keep your plans in an open hand though because if God chooses to take them away it won't hurt as much as it would if you had them in a closed fist. I learned that the hard way... If God takes something from you, it's only to give you something better.
I read Psalm 10, which is about times where the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous seem to fail. There are times where God seems far away. However, He promises that if we remain in Him, the wicked will fall into the traps they prepared for the righteous. Psalm 11:4 says God is still on His throne. That is a comforting truth. Nobody can unseat Him or raise a higher throne. Psalm 11:5 says "He tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked." This is far from the lovey-dovey God that modern religion tries to push. Understand that Man declared war on God just as fully as Satan did. The only difference is that Man has a chance to be redeemed. Those who choose not to be redeemed are still under God's wrath. God does nothing halfway. He will either bless fully or destroy fully, and both will give Him maximum glory. Which side are you on?
We sang a song by Caedmon's Call where the chorus says "You created nothing that gives me more pleasure than You. You won't give me something that gives me more pleasure than You." I learned that the hard way :( As I've mentioned before, God seems sadistic at times because He controls our circumstances to where He is the most important thing in our lives. It doesn't seem fair at first glance. But, when you realize that the Creator of the Universe cares about little, insignificant you, it becomes pretty amazing. You can have a one-on-one relationship with Him, and He promises to bless you and treat you like His adopted child. Romans 8:17 says we are His heirs. That floors me. Matthew 6:33 says we should seek Him first before He grants us everything else. It does not say to follow Him "so that" we can get stuff. He is God...He is the only One who is worthy of our worship. Richard Sharp gave us the saying "No Bible, no breakfast". Seriously, the days I spent this past year where I spent time with God before I started my day turned out better than the ones where I didn't. I really need to develop that habit more.
Psalm 13:6 says, "I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." I echo that from King David. The Lord has blessed me greatly. Psalm 18:2 is the verse burned into the back of my shield: "The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my Rock, in Whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold." Psalm 18:30 says He is a Shield for all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 18:35 says His salvation is a shield. I love shield references :)
At every camp we have a final campfire. This isn't your marshmallow, "Kum By Yah" campfire. This is a campfire where the kids lead worship and simply tell God who He is to them. They can also share their testimonies. When you see 8-12 yr olds 'get it' it totally floors you. Satan hates children. He knows they're easy to discredit, but in reality they are the purest and most credible sources because they really aren't jaded yet. At the second session campfire, I literally felt like something was trying to attack the campfire. I wasn't the only one, another male counselor felt it too, so we retreated from the fire and set up a "prayer perimeter" around it. It was intense. This stuff is real, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
At second session, it was a bit easier because there were so many veteran campers and staff. Still, God moved in great ways. He moved through the speakers and through David Stroup, the worship leader. Nobody has led me into the presence of God quite like David Stroup has, and he's just one man w/ a guitar. I've had amazing experiences w/ worship bands, but nothing like the worship I have with David Stroup at Camp Icthus. On Tuesday of second session I had a small conversation with a dear friend of mine, who was also one of the girls' counselors, about how Creation fell when Man did. She asked me if I thought the color Orange fell when Man fell. Now, I hate Orange because of specific sports teams, but the camp shirt this year was Orange (God has a sense of humor). Truth be told, when Man fell, all of Creation fell. Colors grew dim and died. Even the tranquil beauty of Willow Falls is fallen. I believe that Heaven will be absolute perfection in the presence of God Himself. The colors will be alive as our souls will be alive forever. I can't really explain it further than that, but that's how I perceive it. I don't think we'll be lined up in pews for eternity just singing to God. I believe He wants to show off for us, and even in this fallen creation there is still beauty for our eyes. But, there is so much more waiting for us :) Romans 8:19-22 talks about how God subjected creation to futility, and that it eagerly awaits for the sons of God to be revealed so that it too can be redeemed. I am glad I memorized Romans 8. I highly recommend it :)
Wednesday night of second week, David Stroup led worship before Caleb Lachmann's 'chalk talk' drawing. The Spirit moved, and kids were given an 'invitation' to talk to us counselors about accepting Christ, or to ask any questions. One of the campers came up to me. I had had him when he was 8-yrs old in 2009, and I've seen this kid grow over the past 2 years. He won the Eagle Award at age 9, which is the camp's highest award. He won it again this year. He had some doubts about God he wanted answered, and he got the answer he was looking for. He's a sharp kid, and I hope to see what God does through him. I missed the chalk talk, but I had seen it the week before. Wednesday night worship always gets to me, especially w/ David Stroup, as I mentioned. In session 1 with Andy Craddock I got drenched because it started pouring while I was worshiping on the basketball court. God told me, "you will dry off. Stay here and worship me." and I did. It was awesome!
The more I think about it, the more I realize that this world has nothing to offer me. I don't care about money, cars, status, girls, etc. I just want to serve Him while I'm here. Now, that's not to say that I don't believe He will bless me. He promises that as I remain in Him, He will bless me. I will have everything I need, not everything I want. That's great because I don't really want anything. Another cool thing is that He will give me things I didn't even know I wanted! I was reluctant to come home because I'm re-entering the battles of life. However, I have my hope in Him, so whatever happens will happen because it is supposed to happen. I am like a tree planted by a river. I will bear fruit in my season. (Psalm 1).
I could write more, but this is long already LoL.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
First off, there were only 20 campers 1st session, so it was easy to get upset. "Why, God, would you bring only 20 when we have a great speaker like Richard Sharp?". I could just hear God chuckling and saying, "Look what I did with Eleven!" Numbers mean nothing. It only takes one willing heart to change the world. There is a verse in Chronicles that says God is searching for just one willing heart. I want to be that willing heart, even in all of my weakness.
Our theme was "Journey to Glory". It means that Jesus invites us on a journey in this life where He shows us bits and pieces of His glory until we reach our final destination, which is Himself in Heaven. Think of it like a hike. The guide shows you plants, animals, and scenic views that make you go "wow". When you get to the top of the mountain, you can see for miles. The same is true with Jesus. We see bits and pieces along the trail of life, but when we reach Heaven we can see the entire view. We focused on Esther (book of Esther), Joseph (book of Genesis) and Daniel (book of Daniel) mostly. All three characters reached points in their journey where their lives were threatened, and things happened unjustly to them, but God worked everything for good. This journey isn't all roses and rainbows. There will be storms and rocky places too, but we have the blessed assurance that Jesus is right there with us and won't let us go if we are in Him.
Richard Sharp spoke about how to make the private time you spend with God each day better. Start by saying "God, You are..." and give an adjective. Start by praising Him. Then, say "God, You did..." and write down what He did for you the day before. "Think it, Ink it" as Richard Sharp said. Then say "God, you say..." where you read a passage of Scripture and write down what it means in your life. Then say "God, will You..." and pray for something specific that you need (not want) from Him. Then say "God, will You guide me to..." and pray for your future plans. Keep your plans in an open hand though because if God chooses to take them away it won't hurt as much as it would if you had them in a closed fist. I learned that the hard way... If God takes something from you, it's only to give you something better.
I read Psalm 10, which is about times where the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous seem to fail. There are times where God seems far away. However, He promises that if we remain in Him, the wicked will fall into the traps they prepared for the righteous. Psalm 11:4 says God is still on His throne. That is a comforting truth. Nobody can unseat Him or raise a higher throne. Psalm 11:5 says "He tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked." This is far from the lovey-dovey God that modern religion tries to push. Understand that Man declared war on God just as fully as Satan did. The only difference is that Man has a chance to be redeemed. Those who choose not to be redeemed are still under God's wrath. God does nothing halfway. He will either bless fully or destroy fully, and both will give Him maximum glory. Which side are you on?
We sang a song by Caedmon's Call where the chorus says "You created nothing that gives me more pleasure than You. You won't give me something that gives me more pleasure than You." I learned that the hard way :( As I've mentioned before, God seems sadistic at times because He controls our circumstances to where He is the most important thing in our lives. It doesn't seem fair at first glance. But, when you realize that the Creator of the Universe cares about little, insignificant you, it becomes pretty amazing. You can have a one-on-one relationship with Him, and He promises to bless you and treat you like His adopted child. Romans 8:17 says we are His heirs. That floors me. Matthew 6:33 says we should seek Him first before He grants us everything else. It does not say to follow Him "so that" we can get stuff. He is God...He is the only One who is worthy of our worship. Richard Sharp gave us the saying "No Bible, no breakfast". Seriously, the days I spent this past year where I spent time with God before I started my day turned out better than the ones where I didn't. I really need to develop that habit more.
Psalm 13:6 says, "I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." I echo that from King David. The Lord has blessed me greatly. Psalm 18:2 is the verse burned into the back of my shield: "The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my Rock, in Whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold." Psalm 18:30 says He is a Shield for all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 18:35 says His salvation is a shield. I love shield references :)
At every camp we have a final campfire. This isn't your marshmallow, "Kum By Yah" campfire. This is a campfire where the kids lead worship and simply tell God who He is to them. They can also share their testimonies. When you see 8-12 yr olds 'get it' it totally floors you. Satan hates children. He knows they're easy to discredit, but in reality they are the purest and most credible sources because they really aren't jaded yet. At the second session campfire, I literally felt like something was trying to attack the campfire. I wasn't the only one, another male counselor felt it too, so we retreated from the fire and set up a "prayer perimeter" around it. It was intense. This stuff is real, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
At second session, it was a bit easier because there were so many veteran campers and staff. Still, God moved in great ways. He moved through the speakers and through David Stroup, the worship leader. Nobody has led me into the presence of God quite like David Stroup has, and he's just one man w/ a guitar. I've had amazing experiences w/ worship bands, but nothing like the worship I have with David Stroup at Camp Icthus. On Tuesday of second session I had a small conversation with a dear friend of mine, who was also one of the girls' counselors, about how Creation fell when Man did. She asked me if I thought the color Orange fell when Man fell. Now, I hate Orange because of specific sports teams, but the camp shirt this year was Orange (God has a sense of humor). Truth be told, when Man fell, all of Creation fell. Colors grew dim and died. Even the tranquil beauty of Willow Falls is fallen. I believe that Heaven will be absolute perfection in the presence of God Himself. The colors will be alive as our souls will be alive forever. I can't really explain it further than that, but that's how I perceive it. I don't think we'll be lined up in pews for eternity just singing to God. I believe He wants to show off for us, and even in this fallen creation there is still beauty for our eyes. But, there is so much more waiting for us :) Romans 8:19-22 talks about how God subjected creation to futility, and that it eagerly awaits for the sons of God to be revealed so that it too can be redeemed. I am glad I memorized Romans 8. I highly recommend it :)
Wednesday night of second week, David Stroup led worship before Caleb Lachmann's 'chalk talk' drawing. The Spirit moved, and kids were given an 'invitation' to talk to us counselors about accepting Christ, or to ask any questions. One of the campers came up to me. I had had him when he was 8-yrs old in 2009, and I've seen this kid grow over the past 2 years. He won the Eagle Award at age 9, which is the camp's highest award. He won it again this year. He had some doubts about God he wanted answered, and he got the answer he was looking for. He's a sharp kid, and I hope to see what God does through him. I missed the chalk talk, but I had seen it the week before. Wednesday night worship always gets to me, especially w/ David Stroup, as I mentioned. In session 1 with Andy Craddock I got drenched because it started pouring while I was worshiping on the basketball court. God told me, "you will dry off. Stay here and worship me." and I did. It was awesome!
The more I think about it, the more I realize that this world has nothing to offer me. I don't care about money, cars, status, girls, etc. I just want to serve Him while I'm here. Now, that's not to say that I don't believe He will bless me. He promises that as I remain in Him, He will bless me. I will have everything I need, not everything I want. That's great because I don't really want anything. Another cool thing is that He will give me things I didn't even know I wanted! I was reluctant to come home because I'm re-entering the battles of life. However, I have my hope in Him, so whatever happens will happen because it is supposed to happen. I am like a tree planted by a river. I will bear fruit in my season. (Psalm 1).
I could write more, but this is long already LoL.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
Camp Icthus
To be honest, I have no idea where to start with this one LoL. I returned yesterday from 2 of the most awesome weeks of my life. I didn't want to leave :( Icthus is the closest I've ever been to Heaven here on this earth. Montana was a close second.
Icthus was founded by Eddie and Kay Rew, and has been going on for 24 years. I hope I get to go back next year for it's 25th anniversary. ICTHUS is Greek for "Fish", and the Greek Letters ΙΧΘΥΣ stand for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior". It is a Christian camp that preaches Jesus to 8-12 yr old kids.
I first started as a camper in (I think) 1993. My first night I got really homesick and wrote a letter to my mother that went down in Camp Icthus history. I believe my final year of camp was 1997, so obviously the homesickness wore off. One year I think I went to all 3 sessions of camp in one summer. It was at Camp Fortson back then, behind the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Now it is at Willow Falls Camp in Blue Ridge, GA. Willow Falls is BEAUTIFUL! I love just getting away from it all. Sometimes you'll hear the noises of the water trucks down the hill at the water plant, but other than that it's tranquil. I came back to Icthus as a counselor in 2009 for one week. I spent the next few months trying to convince myself that I wasn't going back, but the next year God said, "Not only are you going back, but you're going back twice!" When I got there in 2010 I felt like I was going home. This year I did 2 sessions as well.
At first session there were only 20 campers and 4 counselors, so it was a small group. I remembered some of the campers from the previous year, so it was great. I taught Archery along with my specialty, Riflery. I like Archery better, but the Rifle Range is very beautiful in the right light LoL. I only had 4 boys in my group, and 2 CITs (Counselors-in-Training) so it was fun. On Thursday, everyone went tubing on the Ocoee River, so I just stayed behind and had the camp to myself for a few hours. Andy Craddock led worship with his mandolin, and Richard Sharp of Operation Mobilization was the guest speaker for the week. Both men were amazing. Andy brought his whole family with him, and I had one of his sons as my CIT and another son in my group. Richard brought his wife Rachel. Richard's from England and Rachel's from Colorado. They met on the Operation Mobilization ship that sails around the world preaching the gospel. Richard's itinerary is along the lines of "Italy, Malta, Germany, Canada, Camp Icthus..." it's amazing how God brings such people to this tiny camp in Blue Ridge. At the last dinner of first session, I had a group of campers start imitating every move I made, which led to them following me around the dining hall during dinner. One 8-yr old camper in particular continued to copy me for 2 hrs, even at the Archery period following dinner, so we gave her the first ever "Copycat Award". It was adorable.
At second session we had a full camp with about 50 campers and 6 counselors. I had nine 12-yr old boys in my group and one CIT. I taught only Riflery and all but one of my periods was full. We had a hodgepodge of chapel speakers. Mr. E came back in to do his illusions. I'd seen him every previous year I'd been a camper, and he even cut my hand off in one of his tricks in 2009. This year he brought me up on stage and put a picture of a ballerina body in front of me. One kid was a monkey, one a strong man, and one a clown. It was a circus trick LoL. It's hard to explain illusions since you have to "see" them. The next day was Mr. Bove who is a missionary to Borneo. The day after that, Richard Sharp came back to speak! Thursday's speaker was...me. I was humbled to be a part of a list of such reputable speakers. I wasn't worthy to speak. I spoke about Habakkuk and how he ties in with the stories of Daniel and Esther that were theme stories for this year of camp. I have an earlier blog entry on Habakkuk as well. God told Habakkuk He was sending the Babylonians to punish Judah. The Babylonians took Daniel back to Babylon. The Persians conquered Babylon, and years later you get the story of Esther. It's all connected. I tied it in with how we each have a purpose in this life. God knew us before we were created, and He knew exactly how we would bring glory to Him. I think I have an earlier blog post about that too :) The Bible ties together beautifully. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't truly read it. There is a way to read the Bible that leads to death, and one that leads to life. Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible. He is God's Word (John chapter 1). I forget which day it was, but I fell out of a canoe fully-clothed into the lake. I ended up swimming with the campers since I was already soaked LoL.
Camp Icthus is amazing, and I sincerely did not want to leave. I'm even a little campsick now. In my next entry I'll go through my personal journal and write what God showed me while I was at camp.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
Icthus was founded by Eddie and Kay Rew, and has been going on for 24 years. I hope I get to go back next year for it's 25th anniversary. ICTHUS is Greek for "Fish", and the Greek Letters ΙΧΘΥΣ stand for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior". It is a Christian camp that preaches Jesus to 8-12 yr old kids.
I first started as a camper in (I think) 1993. My first night I got really homesick and wrote a letter to my mother that went down in Camp Icthus history. I believe my final year of camp was 1997, so obviously the homesickness wore off. One year I think I went to all 3 sessions of camp in one summer. It was at Camp Fortson back then, behind the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Now it is at Willow Falls Camp in Blue Ridge, GA. Willow Falls is BEAUTIFUL! I love just getting away from it all. Sometimes you'll hear the noises of the water trucks down the hill at the water plant, but other than that it's tranquil. I came back to Icthus as a counselor in 2009 for one week. I spent the next few months trying to convince myself that I wasn't going back, but the next year God said, "Not only are you going back, but you're going back twice!" When I got there in 2010 I felt like I was going home. This year I did 2 sessions as well.
At first session there were only 20 campers and 4 counselors, so it was a small group. I remembered some of the campers from the previous year, so it was great. I taught Archery along with my specialty, Riflery. I like Archery better, but the Rifle Range is very beautiful in the right light LoL. I only had 4 boys in my group, and 2 CITs (Counselors-in-Training) so it was fun. On Thursday, everyone went tubing on the Ocoee River, so I just stayed behind and had the camp to myself for a few hours. Andy Craddock led worship with his mandolin, and Richard Sharp of Operation Mobilization was the guest speaker for the week. Both men were amazing. Andy brought his whole family with him, and I had one of his sons as my CIT and another son in my group. Richard brought his wife Rachel. Richard's from England and Rachel's from Colorado. They met on the Operation Mobilization ship that sails around the world preaching the gospel. Richard's itinerary is along the lines of "Italy, Malta, Germany, Canada, Camp Icthus..." it's amazing how God brings such people to this tiny camp in Blue Ridge. At the last dinner of first session, I had a group of campers start imitating every move I made, which led to them following me around the dining hall during dinner. One 8-yr old camper in particular continued to copy me for 2 hrs, even at the Archery period following dinner, so we gave her the first ever "Copycat Award". It was adorable.
At second session we had a full camp with about 50 campers and 6 counselors. I had nine 12-yr old boys in my group and one CIT. I taught only Riflery and all but one of my periods was full. We had a hodgepodge of chapel speakers. Mr. E came back in to do his illusions. I'd seen him every previous year I'd been a camper, and he even cut my hand off in one of his tricks in 2009. This year he brought me up on stage and put a picture of a ballerina body in front of me. One kid was a monkey, one a strong man, and one a clown. It was a circus trick LoL. It's hard to explain illusions since you have to "see" them. The next day was Mr. Bove who is a missionary to Borneo. The day after that, Richard Sharp came back to speak! Thursday's speaker was...me. I was humbled to be a part of a list of such reputable speakers. I wasn't worthy to speak. I spoke about Habakkuk and how he ties in with the stories of Daniel and Esther that were theme stories for this year of camp. I have an earlier blog entry on Habakkuk as well. God told Habakkuk He was sending the Babylonians to punish Judah. The Babylonians took Daniel back to Babylon. The Persians conquered Babylon, and years later you get the story of Esther. It's all connected. I tied it in with how we each have a purpose in this life. God knew us before we were created, and He knew exactly how we would bring glory to Him. I think I have an earlier blog post about that too :) The Bible ties together beautifully. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't truly read it. There is a way to read the Bible that leads to death, and one that leads to life. Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible. He is God's Word (John chapter 1). I forget which day it was, but I fell out of a canoe fully-clothed into the lake. I ended up swimming with the campers since I was already soaked LoL.
Camp Icthus is amazing, and I sincerely did not want to leave. I'm even a little campsick now. In my next entry I'll go through my personal journal and write what God showed me while I was at camp.
For the Kingdom,
Stuart
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