By: Harrison Wise
This year’s theme passage at Winter Camp at Hume is 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. It says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
As we wrap up weekend four of Winter camp at the Lake, I have been thinking more and more of this passage and the reality that many students up here are not new creations in Christ. The old has not passed away. Even more so this weekend, I was struck with this reality due to the passing away of a friend.
With his passing, I was quickly reminded of the passages we see in Job 14:5, “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.”, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” And Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Our days here are numbered, they are fleeting, and the Lord is returning. This is GREAT NEWS to us who are “new creations” in Christ. But to the unbeliever, this is not great news. I am reminded as I run camp of the importance of what it is that we get to do here at Hume. Gospel night at camp hit me in a way that it never had before. There are 800 junior high students in chapel tonight that will hear the life-changing news of the Gospel, and some for the very first time, “The old will pass away, and the new will come”!!!! This thought brought me to tears before chapel even started.
We have no idea what students’ lives look like back at home. And the reality is sobering that our days are numbered, which is why what we do at camp is so important. Matthew 9 reminds us that “The harvest is plentiful,” and Romans 10 tells us that, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved…… but how will they hear if no one tells them, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”. What we get to be part of at camp is seeing students’ lives changed forever through the power of the Gospel! We must take every opportunity we get; the work is rewarding, and the impact is eternal!
Thank you for however it is you partner with Hume. Whether it be working here, giving financially, spending time in prayer, or many other ways! I am grateful to be a part of this ministry and the work the Lord is doing through it!