There are loads of good camps, with lots of good teachers, preachers, counsellors who really understand the gospel. Sadly, however, there are far more that don't get the gospel, and therefore look for behavior modification. Manipulating the emotions of adolescence has become a national pass time. Schools do it, peers, churches, books, Television, music, and parents. No one stops to look at the repercussions of what is happening, so long as the desired result is a different behaving child.
Lately my heart has been grieved and cut to the very core. Firstly, because I use to be one of these great manipulators. To anyone who ever sat under the false teaching, and use of manipulative tactics of my ministry, I am deeply sorry; I can only ask that you would forgive me.
Secondly, I am grieved because I've seen numerous post on social media outlets from parents, teens, and ministry workers posting the results of their camps. As I read these updates my heart hurts for anyone that is being described in the sentence or paragraph.
One such example is where I saw someone say, "I'm free from my hurt and pain" (Which is pretty much the common theme). Now that seems simple, and harmless, however, knowing the context of what is meant by this I realize that there isn't any freedom at all. Here's a few reasons.
1. What they mean is, the had an emotional outpouring where they went to the altar, cried, prayed, had someone pray for them, probably spent several days "counseling" and now they're all better.
2. They are referencing a mystical supernatural mental healing, where all their hurts magically disappeared.
- What happens when the pain, hurt, or sin returns and there isn't a camp to with all the chemical inducing endorphins to create the emotions necessary to by another week or two.
3. Then there is the call to ministry where students will flock to the altar to answer the call to be a pastor, missionary, or some other form of full-time ministry. What about the person that wants to live a quite life, you know like the majority of us; One house, two cars, married with two and half kids.
None of these are necessarily wrong, as God does break us and this can happen at an altar call (sometimes), and we do need people to pray for us, and we do need wise counsel; God does heal our pain, God does call us to something.
Not Our Generation:
We live in a very different age. Today's youth groups are filled with students that have been sexually active since pre-teen age, many of them have sexually transmitted diseases, have had abortions, are pregnant, will be pregnant before the summer is over, have been sexually abused, will be sexually abused, might have been sexually abused by someone during the camp, have been involved in serious crimes, have been using drugs and alcohol for several years, and that's just scratching the surface. When I was a youth, which wasn't that long along, those examples would've been an oddity, and not the more likely scenario. Sadly the above list has become the new normal.
Take that knowledge and add it to some hapless youth counselor who is clueless of this kind of thing,. Furthermore, they are clueless as to how the gospel message ought to be preached, and you have a recipe for burnt s'mores. Burnt s'mores don't taste good, but people eat them at camp. However back in the real world no one wants one of those.
The truth is, the above scenario is far more prevalent than any of us would really like to believe, but there is hope, that hope is Jesus. The real gospel is so much better than anything this world has to offer. When the gospel is rightly understood it sets us free from the condemnation of our sin, it promises us that all wickedness is taken care of. The gospel promises us that those who do evil will be dealt with, in this life or the next; it promises us that our sin has been dealt with been the finished work of Christ, that he stood in our place and propitiated our sin, which means he absorbed the very wrath of God on himself, this wrath is the very wrath we deserve, and anyone who is outside of Christ will absorb it themselves, eternally. The gospel reveals to us that we are sinners who are incapable of saving ourselves, incapable of pleasing God, incapable of coming to God apart from God bringing us to Himself.
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
My guess is those whom I've explained have already fallen back into the guilt and condemnation of their sin, or the sins done against them, because they weren't dealt with by the blood of the Lamb, which was shed on the cross that he, Jesus, bore willing because of the will of God the Father.
Better or Not:
The truth is your pain may not get better; at least in the interim. The sin that you continue to do battle with may not go away in the blink of an eye. The best thing that anyone can tell you is, there is one who suffered who didn't deserve it and he did this that we might have peace with God the Father, that we can be adopted into the family, Jesus did it with joy, Jesus did it in obedience, and he did it with you r past, present, and future sins in view.
Does this brief summary come close to addressing the reality of suffering, sin, addiction, and over coming them? No. And that's the point.
We must look to the cross of Christ in a sin, suffering, times of doubt, times of sickness, and remember to give thanks in all circumstances. With that said, it is only by the grace of God that you will even be able to do that.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Coram Deo,
Douglas Herron
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