Help Locate Campground Churches
August 30, 2010
By Duane Careb
President RVchurchesUSA
in the process of identifying campgrounds across the country (including Alaska) that conduct on-site church services.
Part of our mission is to acknowledge campground owner’s passion to serve Christ known to all RVers via our searchable database- at no cost!
We attempt to personally contact the owners in an effort to verify the existence of services and, when possible, talk to those involved in it’s administration – primarily the speakers. Although time consuming, these interviews have been very encouraging to both the campground owners and our ministry staff, as well.
The best resource for identifying these existing services is YOU!
No doubt, other RVers have told you about campgrounds hosting services or you personally have stayed at a campground that offered them.
Please take a moment and help us identify the campgrounds by simply completing the “Comments” section below. Give us as much information as possible – name, location, website, etc. We’ll do the rest!
You can serve other RVers visiting RVchurchesUSA daily who search our database. Of course, as others share their knowledge, you become the benefactor, as well. In this way, it’s a win-win scenario for all of us – campground owners, RVers and the Kingdom!
Don’t forget to check out our great articles emphasizing spiritual growth and secular RV-lifestyle as well as our resource page for RVers.
Thanks for your participation.
Blessings!
Feeling All Alone? (2)
August 30, 2010
by John ImlerJohn is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late As I read through the Psalms, I see that I am not
the first or the last to have that depressing all alone feeling. David felt alone many times often crying out of his self imposed cave. In Psalms 43:2 he says “You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”
The Bible is full of accounts of those who knew that all alone feeling. Jonah knew it as he rode in the belly of the whale (Jonah 1:17); Job knew it (Job 19); Naomi experienced it when she was alone in a strange land after the death of her husband and two son (Ruth 1:3-5); Sampson knew it after Delilah had his head shaved (Judges 16:20).
However, the most incomprehensible of all was that of a lonely Man hanging on a cross with His body bruised and bleeding when He cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:45).
This was not the first time Jesus felt this loneliness. He had experience it when He was first seized. In Matthew 26:56 we read, “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” He felt it when Peter denied Him and when the disciples chose to sleep rather than watch and pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Why did Jesus endure all of this? It was that we might take shelter and comfort in His promises, knowing that He experienced a feeling of all aloneness far greater than we will ever be called to endure. His promises are true to those who believe. We can take courage in the words of Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in everyway, just as we are – yet without sin.”
So, if you are feeling all alone, look out of your cave and dare to look into the sunlight of God’s love and promises. No matter how fiercely the storm clouds are rolling, He has promised “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23:4).
Join John next time when we seek to locate your “cave”.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
Feeling All Alone? (1)
August 28, 2010
by John ImlerJohn is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late In I Kings 19:14 we read of Prophet Elijah’s conversation
with God about his plight. This was even after Elijah had performed several miracles at God’s instruction and after he had been fed by ravens in the desert.
Elijah tells God that he is the only righteous one left in all of Israel and charges God with trying to kill him. He was feeling alone and forsaken by God. What a pity party it must have been.
Have you ever felt that way? I have. I have experienced that ‘me against the world’ loneliness. I’ve been hiding in my own cave, and it has taken me a while to hear God say, as He said to Elijah, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel–all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18).
And where did I hear God’s voice to me? It was in a book shared by a friend entitled Hope Rising (crystalpeaksyouthranch.org). She did not know of my need but God did.
My cave was dark and cold. The storms were howling in my world. However, Hope Rising was the opening God provided so I could see the opening of the cave. I caught a glimpse of just a few of those “who had not bowed a knee to Baal.” It was enough—just as the raven’s food had been enough to sustain Elijah.
So when you are tucked away in a cave of your own making—having a private pity party, feeling all alone in a lonely uncaring world, and perhaps feeling that even God has forsaken you—remember to look out from your cave into God’s promises which proclaim “surely I am with your always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Join John next week for part 2 of this series, when we will discover still others who felt all alone.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
The Doctrine of The Trinity? (2)
August 24, 2010
By Matt Perman Is the Trinity Contradictory?This leads us to investigate more closely a very
helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction.
In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. For example, if I say that the moon is made entirely of cheese but then also say that the moon is not made entirely of cheese, I have contradicted myself.
Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Theologian R.C. Sproul cites as an example Dickens’ famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. But he avoids contradiction with this statement because he means that in one sense it was the best of times, but in another sense it was the worst of times.
Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. He is three in a different way than He is one. Thus, we are not speaking with a forked tongue-we are not saying that God is one and then denying that He is one by saying that He is three. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way.
How is God one? He is one in essence. How is God three? He is three in Person. Essence and person are not the same thing. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one.
So a closer look at the fact that God is one in essence but three in person has helped to show why the Trinity is not a contradiction. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. Essence means the same thing as “being.” Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being-not three. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. For if we deny this, we have denied God’s unity and affirmed that there is more than one being of God (i.e., that there is more than one God).
What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. But it is possible to go deeper. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity.
Essence and Person
Essence. What does essence mean? As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. God’s essence is His being. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the “stuff” that you “consist of.” Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. “God is spirit” (John 4:24). Further, we clearly should not think of God as “consisting of” anything other than divinity. The “substance” of God is God, not a bunch of “ingredients” that taken together yield deity.
Person. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term “Person” differently than we generally use it in everyday life. Therefore it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. What we do not mean by Person is an “independent individual” in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another.
What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as “I” and others as “You.” So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a “You,” even though He regards Himself as “I.” Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that “Person” means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an “I” and the other two as a “You.” These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but “a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.”[3]
How do they relate? The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. Within God’s one, undivided being is an “unfolding” into three personal distinctions. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. The late theologian Herman Bavinck has stated something very helpful at this point: “The persons are modes of existence within the being; accordingly, the Persons differ among themselves as the one mode of existence differs from the other, and-using a common illustration-as the open palm differs from a closed fist.”[4]
Because each of these “forms of existence” are relational (and thus are Persons), they are each a distinct center of consciousness, with each center of consciousness regarding Himself as “I” and the others as “You.” Nonetheless, these three Persons all “consist of” the same “stuff” (that is, the same “what,” or essence). As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. So God is one “what” but three “whos.”
The divine essence is thus not something that exists “above” or “separate from” the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. Wayne Grudem explains:
But if each person is fully God and has all of God’s being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . . . Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. On the other hand, we must say that the Persons are real, that they are not just different ways of looking at the one being of God…the only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the distinction between the persons is not a difference of `being’ but a difference of `relationships.’ This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human `person’ is a different being as well. Somehow God’s being is so much greater than ours that within his one undivided being there can be an unfolding into interpersonal relationships, so that there can be three distinct persons.[5]
Trinitarian Illustrations?
There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. One illustration to beware of is the one which says “I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. This explains how God can be both one and three.” The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles.
Summary
Let us quickly review what we have seen.
1. The Trinity is not belief in three gods. There is only one God, and we must never stray from this.
2. This one God exists as three Persons.
3. The three Persons are not each part of God, but are each fully God and equally God. Within God’s one undivided being there is an unfolding into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three Persons. The distinctions within the Godhead are not distinctions of His essence and neither are they something added on to His essence, but they are the unfolding of God’s one, undivided being into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three real Persons.
4. God is not one person who took three consecutive roles. That is the heresy of modalism. The Father did not become the Son and then the Holy Spirit. Instead, there have always been and always will be three distinct persons in the Godhead.
5. The Trinity is not a contradiction because God is not three in the same way that He is one. God is one in essence, three in Person.
Application
The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. We exist to worship God. And God seeks people to worship Him in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Therefore we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God-in truth as well as in our hearts.
The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. The general pattern of prayer in the Bible is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God!
Awareness of the distinct role that each Person of the Trinity has in our salvation can especially serve to give us greater comfort and appreciation for God in our prayers, as well as helping us to be specific in directing our prayers. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another.
John Piper. © Desiring God. www.desiringGod.org
The Doctine of The Trinity? (1)
August 22, 2010
By Matt Perman The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It iscrucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. But it also raises many difficult questions. How can God be both one and three? Is the Trinity a contradiction? If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God?
While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.
What Does it Mean That God is a Trinity?
The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons–the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays?
The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son.
In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was “with God”-thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. also 1:18). And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son.
The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God.
The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally–the Father regards Himself as “I,” while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as “You.” Likewise the Son regards Himself as “I,” but the Father and the Holy Spirit as “You.”
Often it is objected that “If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth.” But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialog between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness.
Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a “force” than a Person. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). These are all qualities of personhood. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays.
Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. They are all eternal.
While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities.
Each Person is fully God. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is “one-third” of God? Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts?
The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. For example, it says of Christ that “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). We should not think of God as like a “pie” cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Rather, “the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.”[1] The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into “parts.”
Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, “When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.”[2]
There is only one God. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: “There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:21-22; see also 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60).
Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons.
If there is one passage which most clearly brings all of this together, it is Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” First, notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinguished as distinct Persons. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature? Surely not. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. This can only be if they share one essence.
…. read more in Part 2 of this series
John Piper. © Desiring God. www.desiringGod.org
Barbie-pink Dunkin’ Donuts RV
August 13, 2010
as appeared on RV Home Yet? August 7 , 2010 Dunkin Donuts RVYou can’t miss this RV! It’s a shocking pink – Barbie pink. Dunkin’ Donuts is bringing it to the Northwest.
The pink RV will be in Edmunds, WA August 15-16 giving 
away free coffee and coupons for Dunkin’ Donut coffee beans in grocery stores.
Dunkin’ Donut stores used to be in the Northwest, but closed down a few years ago.
If you are in the area, take advantage of the offer and get a cup of coffee.
Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks?
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.comreprinted with permission
National Park Service – No Fees Aug. 14 and 15
July 31, 2010
by Greg Gerber – RV D@ily Report July 28, 2010 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the National Park Service will waive entrance fees on Aug.14 and 15 to encourage all Americans to visit our national parks.“This fee-free weekend provides an opportunity for individuals and families
alike to take an affordable vacation or to explore a nearby park they have never visited before,” Salazar said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free admission to visit not only our greatest natural wonders but also our nation’s historic and cultural icons.”
There are 391 national parks located across the country in 49 states, many of which will hold free events on August 14 and 15. A complete list by park or state is available at www.nps.gov. A sampling of offerings include:
- Ranger-led programs with free instruction and equipment loans for those who want to get wet. Enjoy snorkeling at Cape Cod, kayaking at DeSoto, or canoeing in Congaree or Big Cypress. Prefer to simply chill out near the water? Bring your blanket to one of the 50 parks with beaches.
- Watch history come to life at military encampments and firing demonstrations at Antietam, Gettysburg, Fort Laramie, Fort McHenry, Fort Vancouver, Fort Stanwix, Fort Matanzas, Kings Mountain, Wilson Creek, Kennesaw Mountain, and Yorktown.
- Dance or tap your toes to the sounds of the Pig War Band at San Juan Island, Cajun music at Jean Lafitte, Ojibwe music at Grand Portage, mountain music on the Blue Ridge Parkway, folk songs at Carl Sandburg, classical music at Saint-Gaudens, or dulcimer music on the Natchez Trace Parkway.
The entrance fees being waived at the 146 sites usually charge for admission range from $3 to $25. There are 246 other parks that do not have entrance fees so you can plan a free visit year-round.
The fee free waiver does not include other fees collected in advance or by contractors—such as fees charged for camping, reservations, tours and use of concessions.
The National Park Service website provides information to help the public plan their park adventures at www.nps.gov.
SOURCE: National Park Service press release
Life Is Sooo Daily!
July 27, 2010
by John Imler
John is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late
been saying it often since she heard it. In fact, I got tired of hearing it and asked her to stop saying it. However, the more I think of it, the truer I realize it is. While we tend to think of our lives in terms of years, each year is lived day by day. Not only that, but I think God designed our lives to be lived daily.
The Scriptures are full of admonitions for us to do just that—to live in the now, to live today rather than tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Jesus himself admonished us not to be concerned about our tomorrows in Matthew 6 25. James adds to this in James 4:13-14.
Jesus gave His disciples some basic principles of prayer in Luke 11:2-4. It is most interesting to note that His instructions were to ask for our “daily bread” not tomorrow’s bread. Just as the Israelites had to trust God for their daily “manna” (Ex. 16:13-19), He has asked us to do the same.
I might add that Jesus’ instruction started with “When you pray” and included with “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” (Lk.11:4). God’s forgiveness is linked to our own forgiveness of others (Matt. 6:14-15).
Yes, life is so daily, and the challenge is for us to live it that way. The older I get the more I realize the truth of a acronym by the great football coach Lou Holtz: the key to winning is deciding What’s Important Now.
To use the WIN principle, it seems logical that in our daily now we concentrate on seeking first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33) and laying up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20). In so doing, we will have less time to be concerned about our tomorrows or to worry about them, and we can trust fully in Romans 8:28.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
Emergency Escape Window Recalls
July 26, 2010
by Jaimie Hall Bruzenakas appeared on RV Home Yet? July 21 , 2010
Though you will receive a notice, if you have a Fleetwood Encounter or Storm or a Coachmen Catalina travel trailer, check with the dealer to see if your unit is affected. You should get this recall fixed immediately. See this release for more information.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.comreprinted with permission
Army Corps Waives Fees For Military
July 26, 2010
by Greg Gerber – RV D@ily Report July 22, 2010 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced
today it will continue to waive day use and camping fees for active service military personnel and DoD civilians who are on mid- or post-deployment leave from duty involving deployments in support of overseas contingency operations.
The Corps began waiving recreation fees for active service personnel on temporary leave from duty in Iraq in 2003. In August 2008, the Corps expanded the waiver to cover DoD civilians and active service military personnel on mid or post leave from deployments.
“Our intent is to recognize the selfless service of these men and women to our nation and the world,” said Steve Stockton, the Corps director of civil works. “The more than 2,200 Corps-operated recreation sites nationwide provide excellent opportunities to find renewal, solace, and to reconnect with families and friends.”
Active service military personnel and DoD civilians on leave will be required to show identification and leave orders/forms upon arrival to the recreation sites to obtain the waiver. The waiver will also apply to all immediate family members accompanying them on their visit. The waiver will be applied to day use and camping fees.
Fees will be waived on a walk-up and space available basis, as well as for reservations made through the National Recreation Reservation Service call center at 1-877-444-6777. However, fees will not be waived for on-line reservations made through Recreation.gov.
In addition, state, local and other managing entities of recreation areas located on Corps lands are encouraged, but not required, to comply with this waiver of fees in the areas they manage.
The Corps is the nation’s largest federal provider of outdoor recreation, managing more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states and hosting more than 350 million visitors per year. The Corps estimates that nearly 89 percent of its recreation projects are within 50 miles of metropolitan areas and provide a diverse range of outdoor activities to people of all ages.
For more information, visit www.CorpsLakes.us
SOURCE: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers press release
Yes God Loves Me – But
July 19, 2010
by John Imler
John is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late
are raging all around me. I like Peter had reached out my hand to receive His gift of eternal life and was striving to follow Him. However, now the sea of life was raging with a tempest I had not known before.
I had been forced to close my business and with little other income been forced to go through bankruptcy. This was not what I had expected when I came back to my faith. I owned nothing, as it was all in the hands of the trustee.
My lovely wife Ruth was being drug along on this journey with me. It was highly probable that we would lose our home that she treasured so much. Where would we go? We had learned we could not rent an apartment until all this was over, some 18 months from now. She did not deserve this after 57 years together. I was embarrassed and humiliated. I was full of doubt, unbelief and stress.
Then I cried out, “Lord, if you are in this with us, save us.” I seemed to hear His words, “You of little faith, why have you doubted my words?” (Matt. 14: 22-32). As I reached out my hand, He took it and led me to the green pastures of His Word.
There I was reminded that I still had more than He ever had (Matt. 8:20); that what He had given me was of more value than any earthly possession (Matt. 6:19-21); that He would continue to supply my needs (Matt. 6: 25-34); and that I could take none of this stuff that now seemed so important with me upon leaving this world (I Tim. 6:7).
However, I must really believe Him rather than just read these words. Yes, He was willing to go with us through this storm if we invited Him to do so. He had promised “surely I am with you always” (Matt. 28: 20).
Finally, I called our mortgage company directly to discuss our dilemma. Now Jesus was in our boat and the storm was about to subside (Matt. 14:32). Although they would not send a statement or take the payment from our bank account, if we would mail the payments they would accept them and we could keep our house.
If you are in the middle of a storm in your life, I encourage you to take the hand of Jesus. Invite Him to go with you through your storm, climb into your boat, and calm the waves.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
Does God Really Love Me?
July 4, 2010
by John Imler
John is an RVchurchesUSA Ambassador and author of It’s Never Too Late
easy to repeat those words with a feeling of assurance. However, when things seem to be going south on us—we have lost our business, our job, perhaps our homes, and we don’t see any light at the end of our tunnel—don’t we sometimes question those words.
This may shock you, but I have been there. My wife and I were sitting at our kitchen table when she said, “I love you.” My response to her was, “I know you do because you show me in so many ways but, the way things are going, I’m not sure God loves me?”
I was in a state of despair. All earthly visible signs were growing worse and, without my being aware of it, Satan was in control of my mind at that moment. He is so cunning that we must be on our guard constantly so that “Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11).
At that moment I had lost awareness of Satan’s schemes. He was using the same old scheme of getting me to question God. The same scheme he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden: “Hath God said?” But I wasn’t listening to God’s Word or to any of His promises. I was like others, even His disciples, whom He said were of “little faith” (Matt 6:30).
However, later that evening, as I sat in my doubt and unbelief, my mind reached heavenward. I thought of Christ on the cross. Now feelings of remorse swept over me as I recalled His words, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18).
How could I have doubted God’s love for me even for a moment in my despair? Yes, Jesus loves me! It was for my sins that He willingly laid down His life. My sins were included in His atonement, so that I though unworthy might have eternal life with Him.
Yes, Jesus does love you and me. Our faith in that love must convince us with Paul that “nothing in all of creation” will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).
There is more to this story. Join John next time for the rest of his story.
John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com
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