The Camp That Never Ended

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A few weeks ago, for the first time in my young adult life I had the opportunity to go camping. It never dawned on me that people actually choose to sleep outside for fun. I've always had a great time staying in the house watching Netflix. Nevertheless, my brother-in-law invited me to his church to attend a weekend of camping and worship.

I must be honest, I was a little reluctant at first considering my introduction into the Slavic community wasn't the best. However, after a full morning of playing flag-football on Thanksgiving, I felt like I myself was part Slavic. Not allowing the fact that I only knew 3-5 Russian words to stop me, I quickly looked for ways to set up a tent for the first time.

There were several members of their church there camping. For a full weekend, there was worship each day and night along with fellowship amongst each other all evening. I had never seen anything like it. I've been familiar with sports fans that embrace the outside elements and overpriced food to come together for their favorite team, but not often is this type of devotion and loyalty shown in the western parts of the world for God alone.

Isn't it interesting that in order to become an athlete you must conform to another way of living? Similarly, in order to achieve a doctorate degree, it takes years of consecration and focus while missing out on time spent with loved ones. Conversely, when accepting Christ in the modern age, all that is expected is your occasional presence for about an hour on a Sunday. I've never been good at math, but since a young child I knew something wasn't adding up about this.

25 For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]. Matthew 16:25 AMPC

Several years ago, a man told me that if I didn't feel like spending each day in the presence of God, then Heaven probably wasn't the place for me.

It was so fascinating seeing everyone come together for a weekend at the camp but I couldn't help but think about the church of Acts. The first church mentioned in the Bible loved each other so much that only persecution could force them to go their separate ways. Their love for each had become so inseparable that only running away for a chance at survival forced them to leave one another's side.

3 But Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously [with cruelty and violence]; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison. 4 Now those who were scattered abroad went about [through the land from place to place] preaching the glad tidings, the Word [[d]the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God]. Acts 8:3-4 AMPC

When a man and woman get married, they become one. However, when a person dedicates himself to Christ, he or she becomes a part of many. Through our acceptance of Jesus we, too, sign a consecrated vow, some with their heart and others with their own blood. This isn't a hobby or a book club. We have enlisted ourselves as soldiers of Christ.

3 Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. 5 For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. 6 We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 7 For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. 10 For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. 11 Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:3-11 AMPC

This is what a true spiritual body of Christ looks like: A group of people committed to Christ and because of that shared commitment to Christ, they are also committed to each other.

When I was in high school, I got bit by a spider and the doctor informed me that he had considered cutting off my arm to stop the infection from spreading. I was overwhelmed at the thought of losing a part of my body. I couldn't actually imagine living without it. This is how we should feel about the body of Christ. We are not called to a bumper sticker type of commitment to one another, we are called to throw ourselves in the fire for the sake of Christ and for the sake of the brethren.

13 No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. John 15:13 AMPC

God would not expect the soldiers of this world fighting for corrupt kingdoms on the verge of collapse to show more commitment and unity than those who have been enlisted in the Army Of The Lord.

3 Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. 5 And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). 2 Timothy 2:3-5 AMPC

Isn't it interesting that we call ourselves brother and sisters in Christ but we are comfortable only seeing each other once a week for a brief conversation? Unfortunately, for most of us if the president made a decree that we could only see our pets once a week we would storm the capital. How can we say we love our brothers and not want to do life with them or do life for them? How can we say we love God without showing some natural manifestation of that love pouring out on our brothers and sisters?

19 We love Him, because He first loved us. 20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [[a]in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. 21 And this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother [[b]believer] also. 1 John 4:19-21 AMPC

Attending a gym once a week doesn't add hardly any benefit to a physical body so why would we think that this same process would be substantial for the edification a spiritual one? We must re-evaluate who we are and if we belong in the elect of Christ or if we belong in the elect of people that killed Him.

47 Woe to you! For you are [r]rebuilding and repairing the tombs of the prophets, whom your fathers killed (destroyed). 48 So you bear witness and give your full approval and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they actually killed them, and you rebuild and repair monuments to them. 49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles, [some] of whom they will put to death and persecute 50 So that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be charged against and required of this age and generation, 51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was slain between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against and required of this age and generation. Luke 11:47-51 AMPC

It was the men and women that were satisfied with their comfortable religious routine that hated Jesus. It was the men and women that wanted to show off a form of godliness but never wanted to actually get their hands dirty carrying the blood stained, agony driven cross of Christ who called for the death of our Savior.

13 Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing. Mark 7:13 AMPC

We have passed down a weaker form of religious blasphemy than that which God rejected from the Pharisees. We say long prayers and dedicate ourselves to weekly assemblies, but in the majority of places of worship, the presence of God has been absent.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 AMPC

A man told me when I was younger, "Anything worth it won't be easy and if it's easy, then it probably isn't worth it." When Church becomes your life and not just your experience or tradition, there is a great chance you have personally encountered the Savior and His love will quickly abound in you more and more, spilling over to everyone that crosses your path, manifesting through the the taking of strangers inside your home to even giving up your comfort and convience to suffer alongside those who are committed to God.

34 Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you [a] favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you [b]brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and [c]lodged Me, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me [d]with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. Matthew 25:34-36 AMPC

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24 [Aroused] by faith Moses, when he had grown to maturity and [a]become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life. 26 He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense). Hebrews 11:24-26 AMPC

This is the love that Jesus manifested on earth and this is the love He died for us all to have.

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Question of the Day: If you have faith to move mountains but do not have love, what do you have?