My oldest daughter is currently on an “international” domestic mission trip…she is in Atlanta with our student ministry, and is ministering in some of the international communities there in conjunction with www.whirlwindmissions.org. I have had several people tell me they have “caught her” doing some wonderful things with those kids and in her personal life. I am one proud Mom.
Summer is the time for Backyard Bible Clubs, Vacation Bible School, Children’s and Youth Camps and the like. And, as Christians, we know the ultimate goal of all this time, energy and resources spent doing all those activities: that lives would be impacted and changed by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I absolutely LOVE being around children in these type settings. Most of my favorite memories are from the Assemblies of God Campground in Woodworth, Louisiana. Dad ran 7 weeks of camp there EVERY SUMMER for YEARS. I was the camp BRAT. With a capital B-R-A-T. I have apologized to those of you who have laughingly shared those horrible stories of me as a child. Now I have three children, and I can pretty much guarantee you I am reaping what I have sown!!
I also think about one of my favorite memories as an adult – Dry Creek Baptist Camp in Dry Creek, Louisiana. My husband Glenn and I had the privilege of leading worship at the Pre-Teen camps there for a few years. Every evening there was powerful preaching of the Word of God with Rev. Jerry Chaddick. And every morning just after breakfast the campers were divided into groups of 8-10 and sent to different areas of the campus with a counselor. That was our morning devotion time. We were able to teach the kids in a small setting. The children rotated groups the four days they were at camp, so they got to hear all four topics: Salvation & Me, My Prayer & Devotion Life, The Role of the Holy Spirit in My Life, and Living for Christ. The topic I usually got to teach was on Salvation.
I want to share with you a story I first heard from Rev. Chaddick (our pastor at the time), and that I shared (and still share) every time I had the opportunity to teach. Now I don’t know whether this originates from Bro Jerry, or if he heard it somewhere else like I did. But here is the story. Hearing it gave me a much deeper grasp on exactly what it was Christ did for me, and what it means to be saved. It also made me infinitely more grateful for His rich gift. Feel free to pass it along. There is no doubt in my mind that it will impact lives for the sake of the Gospel.
Once, in a land not so far away, a wonderful village existed in the middle of woods just like these. This was a wonderful village, filled with wonderful people. Everyone always helped each other. No-one ever mistreated anyone, and there was absolutely no crime. This village had a very wise chief who was responsible for solving any problems that came up, but he wasn’t very busy. Everyone got along so well!
One day a villager noticed he was missing a tool from his shed. He looked and looked, but could not find it. When he mentioned it to his neighbor, his neighbor told him he was missing some items too. Before long it became apparent that someone in the village was stealing. No-one could understand why, though, because everyone had everything they needed. Everyone shared with everyone else, and no-one went without anything.
When the chief heard the news he made a proclamation: “Whoever is stealing in this village will be made an example. We will tie the thief’s hands to the center pole in our gathering tent and give him 40 lashes with a whip.” Everyone agreed this would be the way to not only punish the thief, but to make sure no one else followed in those footsteps.
The chief summoned everyone to the gathering tent, and sent four of his most trusted friends to go search the homes of every villager, including himself. When the stolen items were found they would know who the thief was, and the punishment would commence.
After what seemed like an eternity, the four men came back to the tent. Three of the men kept their heads down and sat quietly among their families. The oldest man, still with his head down, slowly made his way to the chief. “We know who the thief is, sir,” he said. “Bring him to me!” thundered the chief. “But, sir…” began the man. The look on the chief’s face told him he had said enough. “Yes, sir.”
The chief waited in the center near the pole, and called the largest man in the village to come execute the punishment. He didn’t notice the men bring the thief to him. He realized the room had suddenly grown deathly quiet and turned around. The color drained from his face as his eyes met that of the thief. His heart broke instantly. He felt the room begin to spin and a pain in the pit of his stomach like he had never felt before. There in front of him was the thief – the one who, by the chief’s own proclamation, must take such an awful punishment. There, in front of him, stood his own mother.
The entire village watched the chief intently. Surely he would back down on his word to beat the thief. After all, it was his mother. But the chief knew in his heart that, although he loved his mother and would do anything for her, he simply could not let her sin go unpunished. He would lose respect from his people, and he would lose respect for himself. His days as a chief would be over, and more and more crimes like this one would begin to overtake the peaceful village he loved so dearly. He steadied himself. He knew what he had to do.
He turned away as he asked the men to tie her to the pole, back exposed. Very quickly and quietly, the men did as they were told. Then the chief nodded to the executioner. The large man paused, waiting for the chief’s eyes to meet his. One look and the man knew the chief was ready for the punishment to begin. The man began unfurling the whip, never taking his eyes from the chief, waiting – hoping – the chief would change his mind. But he didn’t.
So the large man, tears streaming from his eyes, pulled the whip back and began to swing it through the air. “Stop!” yelled the chief. Every eye was on him as he simply walked over to his mother and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the angry blows of the whip. “Now!” the chief calmly ordered. And so he took the punishment for her.
In the same way Jesus Christ took our punishment for us. Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned – messed up…fallen short of being perfect. Romans 6:23 tells us that the only punishment for that sin is our own death. That’s what makes Jesus so different. He loved us so deeply that He died to take our punishment, just like that chief took the punishment for his own beloved mother. And I am so grateful He did.
Summer is the time for Backyard Bible Clubs, Vacation Bible School, Children’s and Youth Camps and the like. And, as Christians, we know the ultimate goal of all this time, energy and resources spent doing all those activities: that lives would be impacted and changed by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I absolutely LOVE being around children in these type settings. Most of my favorite memories are from the Assemblies of God Campground in Woodworth, Louisiana. Dad ran 7 weeks of camp there EVERY SUMMER for YEARS. I was the camp BRAT. With a capital B-R-A-T. I have apologized to those of you who have laughingly shared those horrible stories of me as a child. Now I have three children, and I can pretty much guarantee you I am reaping what I have sown!!
I also think about one of my favorite memories as an adult – Dry Creek Baptist Camp in Dry Creek, Louisiana. My husband Glenn and I had the privilege of leading worship at the Pre-Teen camps there for a few years. Every evening there was powerful preaching of the Word of God with Rev. Jerry Chaddick. And every morning just after breakfast the campers were divided into groups of 8-10 and sent to different areas of the campus with a counselor. That was our morning devotion time. We were able to teach the kids in a small setting. The children rotated groups the four days they were at camp, so they got to hear all four topics: Salvation & Me, My Prayer & Devotion Life, The Role of the Holy Spirit in My Life, and Living for Christ. The topic I usually got to teach was on Salvation.
I want to share with you a story I first heard from Rev. Chaddick (our pastor at the time), and that I shared (and still share) every time I had the opportunity to teach. Now I don’t know whether this originates from Bro Jerry, or if he heard it somewhere else like I did. But here is the story. Hearing it gave me a much deeper grasp on exactly what it was Christ did for me, and what it means to be saved. It also made me infinitely more grateful for His rich gift. Feel free to pass it along. There is no doubt in my mind that it will impact lives for the sake of the Gospel.
Once, in a land not so far away, a wonderful village existed in the middle of woods just like these. This was a wonderful village, filled with wonderful people. Everyone always helped each other. No-one ever mistreated anyone, and there was absolutely no crime. This village had a very wise chief who was responsible for solving any problems that came up, but he wasn’t very busy. Everyone got along so well!
One day a villager noticed he was missing a tool from his shed. He looked and looked, but could not find it. When he mentioned it to his neighbor, his neighbor told him he was missing some items too. Before long it became apparent that someone in the village was stealing. No-one could understand why, though, because everyone had everything they needed. Everyone shared with everyone else, and no-one went without anything.
When the chief heard the news he made a proclamation: “Whoever is stealing in this village will be made an example. We will tie the thief’s hands to the center pole in our gathering tent and give him 40 lashes with a whip.” Everyone agreed this would be the way to not only punish the thief, but to make sure no one else followed in those footsteps.
The chief summoned everyone to the gathering tent, and sent four of his most trusted friends to go search the homes of every villager, including himself. When the stolen items were found they would know who the thief was, and the punishment would commence.
After what seemed like an eternity, the four men came back to the tent. Three of the men kept their heads down and sat quietly among their families. The oldest man, still with his head down, slowly made his way to the chief. “We know who the thief is, sir,” he said. “Bring him to me!” thundered the chief. “But, sir…” began the man. The look on the chief’s face told him he had said enough. “Yes, sir.”
The chief waited in the center near the pole, and called the largest man in the village to come execute the punishment. He didn’t notice the men bring the thief to him. He realized the room had suddenly grown deathly quiet and turned around. The color drained from his face as his eyes met that of the thief. His heart broke instantly. He felt the room begin to spin and a pain in the pit of his stomach like he had never felt before. There in front of him was the thief – the one who, by the chief’s own proclamation, must take such an awful punishment. There, in front of him, stood his own mother.
The entire village watched the chief intently. Surely he would back down on his word to beat the thief. After all, it was his mother. But the chief knew in his heart that, although he loved his mother and would do anything for her, he simply could not let her sin go unpunished. He would lose respect from his people, and he would lose respect for himself. His days as a chief would be over, and more and more crimes like this one would begin to overtake the peaceful village he loved so dearly. He steadied himself. He knew what he had to do.
He turned away as he asked the men to tie her to the pole, back exposed. Very quickly and quietly, the men did as they were told. Then the chief nodded to the executioner. The large man paused, waiting for the chief’s eyes to meet his. One look and the man knew the chief was ready for the punishment to begin. The man began unfurling the whip, never taking his eyes from the chief, waiting – hoping – the chief would change his mind. But he didn’t.
So the large man, tears streaming from his eyes, pulled the whip back and began to swing it through the air. “Stop!” yelled the chief. Every eye was on him as he simply walked over to his mother and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the angry blows of the whip. “Now!” the chief calmly ordered. And so he took the punishment for her.
In the same way Jesus Christ took our punishment for us. Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned – messed up…fallen short of being perfect. Romans 6:23 tells us that the only punishment for that sin is our own death. That’s what makes Jesus so different. He loved us so deeply that He died to take our punishment, just like that chief took the punishment for his own beloved mother. And I am so grateful He did.