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Let No Man Despise Thy Youth
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
2 Timothy 4:12
Christian Junior camp was always special to me. From the time I was 8 years old I’ve been able to enjoy at least one week a year of lots of preaching, fun games, new friends, Bible memory and lasting decisions for Christ. In fact, it was at a Junior camp when I was 11 that God called me to be a missionary!
Today was the last day of my church’s annual Junior Camp and they invited me in to preach the morning service. It was wonderful to sit in a room with 80 children and quite a few sleep-deprived teens and adults, all eager to hear the Word of God. They’ve already seen several saved this week and many make decisions for God. There were two more young men that acknowledged their need of salvation this morning. Will you pray with me that they settle that soon? The Holy Spirit was moving in their heart! Also, after I preached on Josiah this morning, over 30 kids and teens made decisions to step out and make a difference for God, to go against the world’s norm, and to surrender their life to Him. Hallelujah! Pray that these decisions will last and that God really will use them for His eternal Glory.
I often wondered as a child, “what can I do, being so young?” This has always brought me back to 1 Timothy 4:12. You see, being young isn’t the issue. Just as being tall, short, fat, skinny, black, white, ugly or pretty isn’t the issue. The issue is a perfect heart toward God. He can use anybody that’s willing to be used. And we, as Christians, need to realize that it’s not about us. It’s all about HIM! He can take the smallest tool and create a masterpiece. And when it comes down to it, that’s all we are–His tools. And it sure feels good to be a tool in the Master’s hand!
Let’s not discredit our young people. They are today’s harvest and tomorrows leaders.
Also, please pray for the Faith Factor Teen Camp my church hosts every year. This is for Middle and High school age young people and will take place in less than two weeks. We’re praying that God saves many, calls many to Christian service and works on all of our hearts in a special way. Check out the video that was put together for the camp here:
The Story Of Jonah
This young girl knows storytelling more than most preachers! Listen as she recounts the story of Jonah with such emotion and expression! Her parents are doing a wonderful job.
Check out the video here:
A Fire In My Bones
Image via Wikipedia
I’ve been reading lately in my devotions about the Prophet Jeremiah. He came to so many hard places in his life, suffering greatly for the message that he preached. In fact, he not only suffered physical harm because of it, but he preached and prophesied for years and years without any fruit to speak of.
I don’t know if I could do that.
Jeremiah thought he couldn’t do it either.
During one of the times he was jailed, he made a decision to not serve God anymore. It had caused him too much pain, too much ridicule, too much hardship. So, instead of proclaiming the word of God, he’d just keep silent. Maybe it would save him from the hard life and persecution that he had suffered for so long.
But look what he says in Jeremiah 20:9
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
How amazing is that! The word of God was like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He couldn’t keep silent. He HAD to preach. He HAD to serve Jehova.
Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever known something so juicy that you couldn’t wait to just tell somebody? A funny story, an interesting piece of information, a rumor or a gossip or a truth. We are like this with worldly and carnal things, but when was the last time that you burned inside because you just had tell somebody about Jesus?
Challenging thought. It got me.
The Vance Family 