MONDAY, July 21st, 2008

I am so excited about camp!! Two weeks from today we will be driving up there! How exciting is that? I am so ready to be there!! Teenagers, I want to challenge you with somsething today: God did greater things in my life at camp than I saw Him do anywhere else because my heart was open and I expected God to do something great! I hope that you will begin to view camp the same way, Make sure that your heart is open! Also make sure that you expect God to do something Great! Pray, Pray, Pray!! Ask God to do Great Things in your life during your week of camp! Trust Me! If you are willing... HE IS WILLING!!

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Kacey: We missed you in church yesterday! I hope you guys have a fun vacation in Orlando! What are you going to be doing while you are there? Did Jill go with you guys?
Jessica M: Wow... Preach my message last night before I even get to! you said: "Not enough time spent with God in His word?"
Cary: You are funny! I thought your comment to Amy was Hilarious!
Kervin: I hope I did not frustrate you yesterday. I hope you have decided to come to the wilds! The book I am reading is called "Do Hard Things". I think this would be something "hard" for you to do that would make you a much better person, increase your comfort zone, and help you for years to come! Think about it!
Josh L: I don't understand why you would say impolite things about your parents, especially when they just allowed you to get back on the computer?!?! BE NICE! and good Job on the "Sherlock Asian".
ALEX: I am glad that you have committed to stay in the word "consistently", and I really like your word supakoo. Did you make that up? I am glad that you came bowling last night!
Mallory: Where are you going to in Tennessee? I hope you have fun! I hope that you can still do your devotions!
Jeff: I am excited about learning the rest of the back flip!
Tricia: Are you "AICIRT" ?? Great job on your devotions! I am excited about you getting involved! Tell me very soon if you can go to the wilds with us!
Bethany: Thanks for your compliment! I would love to sing with you sometime! By the way... let me know as soon as you find out about the wilds!!!!

John 16:1-15
1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.
4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

This passage is a little longer than what I normally choose, but It all fits together and will make more sense if you read the whole passage. There are several exciting facts mentioned by Christ in this passage.

First, we see in verse one, that Christ is sharing all of this information with the disciples so that they will not "stumble". If God knew that these sayings would keep the disciples from falling, then I believe that they will keep us from falling as well...

Next in verses 2-4, Jesus is finishing His thoughts about the world Hating Christians. Jesus explains that not only will the world Hate Christians, but they will think that they are doing GOOD whenever they kill Christians. Wow! That is scary! But that is happening today around the world. There are places today where Christians are being killed for their beliefs. I am so thankful that we can have the freedom to open our Bible and read it, and to go to church, an to pray in public... and so much more!

Verse 7 is my favorite verse in this passage. Here is why! Jesus is sitting there with the Disciples and He tells them, I am about to leave you guys, and they get very sad... But then Jesus explains that it is to their advantage that He leaves them, because then the "comforter" or the Holy Spirit will come! Jesus tells them that it is better to have the Holy Spirit in their life than to have Jesus Christ right there with them. That is pretty incredible! We have so many advantages in our Christian life today! We have Gods word, As I spoke about last night, and we have the Holy spirit which is better than having Jesus here with us, because the Hol spirit can dwell in each of us, and minister and comfort and convict and guide each of us, where as if Jesus were here with us, then there would be a line 500 miles long just to see him and get a picture!

Thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit in my life! God has given us so many advantages to live for him! So LET'S DO IT!!!!