“Break camp and advance… See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession…” Deuteronomy 1:7a,8a NIV
The opening chapter of Deuteronomy lifts a curtain on a scene in the land of Moab where the people of God are gathered before His servant, Moses. The day is memorialized in Scripture with pin-point precision: it was the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month.
That’s Day 1 of Month 11 in Year 40.
The stopwatch on this forty-year time frame took its first tick just as precisely. It was on the fourteenth day of the first month of the first year. The day carved out on God’s sovereign schedule for their massive exodus from Egypt.
That’s Day 14 of Month 1 in Year 1.
Endure the tedium of the dates for a moment because each set swells with significance. The first twelve months in the wilderness were calendared by God for the construction of a dwelling place for His glory. According to Numbers 10:11-13, in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud then lifted above the tabernacle of the testimony to advance the people of God toward the land He’d solemnly promised to their father Abraham.
That’s Day 20 of Month 2 in Year 2.
Thirty eight harrowing years had flown by at a sloth’s pace when Moses gathered the people of God on the damp edges of Canaan for the renewal of the covenant recorded in Deuteronomy. The skeletons of the faithless were scattered across the desert, picked clean by jackals, bleached white by a searing sun. Idolatry had fed gold to a bonfire and brought forth a graven calf in pangs of revelry to the tunes of slurring songs. Spies had returned from Canaan weighted down with the paradox of fruit and fear.
The delay had not come because the people disbelieved that God could do wonders. They’d seen Him split the sea, swallow their foes, shower down bread, and spit water from rocks. What they disbelieved was that God could do wonders through them.
We are not able…for they are stronger than us…The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants. Numbers 13:31,32
As it turned out, they were devoured not by their foes in their land of promise but by their faithlessness in a desert where, ironically, every dawn sprayed sunshine on a twinkling blanket of wonders. (Exodus 16:14-15)
But in the fortieth year and the eleventh month, something different happened. The sun rose bold and bright over Moab on a brand new day. Before Moses stood a new generation.
A generation ready to break camp and advance. We are not told that they were taller than their predecessors or that the giants across the river had shriveled and shrunk. In all their human frailty leaned against the gargantuan task, that new generation simply believed, broke camp, and advanced. Even without the leader who’d raised his staff to the Red Sea, rousing an east wind that made walls out of waters.
Fast forward thousands of years. Same God, looking for the same thing: people with bona fide faith who will swallow their fear and step out there into the unknown to make His praise glorious.
Every generation of Christ-followers is commissioned to advance the work of His kingdom across this globe, not to dispossess but to disciple, until a great multitude from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages can cry out with a loud voice,
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! (Revelation 7:9-10)
Many of the generations behind us stepped up to the challenge and did the work of the gospel, even if it killed them. We read about them. We marvel over them. We quote them. But we’re the ones dotting the landscape now. This is our tenure. They had nothing that we do not have. We have the same Savior, the same commissioning, the same Scriptures, and the same indwelling Spirit. We’re on.
But if we really want to advance, it’s probably time to break some camps.
Our camps are stalling us. They’re distracting us, dividing us, detouring us and detaining us. They are depleting the energy we need for the supreme task: to see people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ with a clock ticking so fast and furiously that our heads are spinning like tops.
God forbid in this metaphor that we’d confuse a camp with a community. Community is essential within the Body of Christ for individuals to flourish.We’d be hard-pressed to fulfill our callings apart from community. We can’t forsake meeting together. Nothing could be further from my mind than all of us out there on our own, unattached, unaccounted for, and unaccountable.
But camps are something else. They call for allegiance.
We’re all drawn to camps because they help satisfy our bone-deep desire to belong. But our pledge of allegiance to a camp will become a snare to us over and over. Our camp will eventually come into direct conflict with our allegiance to Christ because He will personally see to it. Jesus will systematically challenge every single confederation we hold dear in order to make sure that His authority stands completely alone and uncontested. Even good affiliations. Even godly ones. Those, in fact, can be the biggest competitors for authority in the lives of believers in Christ.
As a pen to the ink of the Spirit, Paul described the tendency of spiritual people to wrap a death grip around precepts and religious practices instead of “holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” (Colossians 2:19)
There is a growth that is not necessarily from God.
If we want the only kind that matters to Him, we’ve got to hold fast to the Head.
Not to the camp.
To the Head.
The camp does not equal the Head.
When our loyalty to Christ or camp is tested and the camp wins, we lose. Our advancements with the gospel work will eventually either brake to the pace of an inchworm, screech to a stop, or reverse directions entirely until we’re inadvertently working in opposition to the Holy Spirit. The bleakest part is that we could be the last to know. A camp vision can get so thick, cloudy, and all-encompassing that we don’t even realize we’re missing a move of God. A banner can become a blindfold.
One way we’ll know the difference between a camp and a community is how freely we can move within it, around it, and even out of it. A camp elicits adherence. If departure would feel like a break up and differing perceived as disloyalty, we’ve probably got ourselves a camp.
Any organization or system in Christendom becomes a camp when it holds sway in our spiritual identity. We are known, not so much for being Jesus-followers as for being a ___________________________________.
Camps have more flag bearers than cross-bearers.
Camps consider significant differences as one of two basic things: menacing threats or colossal signs of ignorance.
If you can go wholeheartedly with Jesus and still stay in a group and flourish, you’ve got yourself a fine community. Your calling and your community can peacefully coexist for years on end. But, if what you’ve got on your hands is a camp and you risk adjusting your doctrine according to what you’re learning right there on the pages of Scripture, you can count on a head-on collision. To decide exactly what we believe by the time we’re 30, choose our camp, and carefully reaffirm that exact line of belief till our dying breath will freeze our feet on the field. Getting people to come to us will eventually and invasively replace our *going to them. (*Mt. 28:19)
We can’t cram for life in the Spirit. It’s not a degree and the Bible’s not a diploma. We are summoned by the Spirit to study the Scriptures and seek Christ all our lives, increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10) A life-long disciple is a life-long learner. That means that we take the risk of realizing that maybe we were wrong about a strong stand we took. If we’re in a community, that can be okay. If we’re in a camp, that’s a cat fight.
Hold fast to the Head.
Not to the camp.
Look up from the huddle to fields white for harvest.
If we want to advance with the gospel of Jesus Christ on the battlefield of this globe where the carnage amounts to millions of souls, we are not called to keep camp.
We are not called to trade camps. (This will be the natural tendency of the long-term camper who feels the need for change. Simply hop on one foot to another one.)
Nope.
We are called to break camp.
Break camp and advance.
Here we get to pledge our affection to every brother and sister but here we pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Colossians 3:11 NIV
Oh, Beth, you have no idea how good and relevant this is to me today. God is so gracious to confirm things to us, isn’t he?
I ‘broke camp’ a few years back, and thought I had moved forward. But only recently, He gave me a freeing revelation, I guess I’d call it, that just cleansed my heart like nothing I’d ever experienced. Kind of hard to put into words, but real nonetheless. All I can do is praise Him for how merciful and loving He is!
Thank you once again for your faithful service that touches us all!
We praise the Lord with you, sweet one!
I pray God blesses you dearly for being so brave to write this 🙂
Thank you, Beth, for this timely message. Our church is undergoing change and some folks do not agree with the direction it is heading. I am praying that the leadership listens to the Holy Spirit. If all of us are in tune with the Holy Spirit, how does division happen? I pray that our community of believers holds fast to the Head! Bless you! This is a message to save, one to serve as a reminder, one to share.
Soooooo timely
THIS is being used as a family devotional tonight.
Thank you Beth.
Amen. Well said! I needed that!
Beth,
Powerful! I have been a Christian for a long time and I still find myself unknowingly entrenched in a camp of one kind or another. The Lord has been so gently teaching me that He is the only thing that matters. My significance should only come from Him and not from the people I hang out with. Daily I have to come before my sweet Savior and preach myself the gospel. I am sure that this is the very point. Thank you for a great reminder of God’s love for us. You’re the best!
Lynda
Very interesting. Surprising to myself I know exactly what you mean. I am so curious to know how your thinking has changed from how you once thought. I’m looking forward to getting Children of The Day.
All I can say is this, “How did you know?” A timely word, meeting the Smith family on the pavement. We have broken camp and are embarking on a new journey….. Will share more when I can. Love you, Beth!
Dear Holly, We bless you as you embark on this new journey with Jesus! He is so worth breaking camp and moving forward.
Thank you, Sherry! Prayers are VITAL! 🙂 God Bless You!
Wow. I’m speechless. Convicted.
Thank you.
This is an anointed message. Thank you Beth, for obeying the Lord, for sharing it and for blessing us with better insight into the ways of God so we can be more like Jesus and more effective for Him, with Him, in Him. God bless you!!!!
I loved reading this. Confirmation. I broke camp at God’s call and have been misunderstood and judged by campers. 🙁 Hurts. And haven’t found a community yet. In a desert. No fun. BUT reading this helped validate that I wasn’t nuts when I felt the call to leave the masses of white washed tombs.
Dear Donna,
We will pray for you as you follow Jesus! Much love to you.
masses of white washed tombs…yes may we all leave them behind for the fields white for harvest! JESUS send forth your harvesters! Please don’t let the laborers be few!
Amen and Amen! Oh me…
Beth,
As I thought about this post this AM (as I am on week 6 of a very stubborn virus that has sapped my strength to micro porportions and so I am stuck inside when outside is a pleasant gorgeous day)I thought of this….. Camp is not in itself a bad thing.
When I think of camp I think of a place of nourishment (smores please!) and a place to retreat and rest. The problem with never breaking camp is that it feels secure there. Worst part of camping is the breaking up part. It is work and the rest and nourishment are gone now the real work starts.
I think alot of us in the church today are campers. We are entertained to death we are potlucked to death with activity and goings on. We don’t want to reach the point where we have to break it up and go on. Apathy and being lulled to sleep are rampant today.
Try and get big groups together for just indepeth Bible study. They may come of you have a big drawing card first such as entertianment or some other activity but just to study the Word. Not very often. They want experience and entertainment but not the real work involved. When it comes to all out descipleship there are few followers IF it is gona cost too much!
The new Fall season is upon us and I already feel burned out!! I feel I need to retreat abit but there is noone out there to nourish some of us so we have the strength to break camp and advance!
Sorry Beth I think this post comes from a weariness today if the virus leaves I may feel like breaking camp too but not today!!
Hugs,
Betty
I hear a mixture of your heart and your virus in that! I pray for sensitivity to Him, that you will hear and heed the Holy Spirit; He knows the right time to break camp, and he knows the way you are to go. Blessings!!!!!!! (And praying you regain your strength rapidly).
I am pulling up some tent post as we speak. This is a word for everyone. Thank you
thank you very much for this blog….it was so timely and encouraging! God bless you, my sister!
Beth- Thank you so much for such a timely word of confirmation in this present stage of my faith journey!
Oh please Lord- let it be! May we waste no more energy waving flags from camps but get about advancing the Kingdom in our generation. With you beautiful soul! Thank you for leading us to Jesus always.
May our only banner be JEHOVAH NISSI, the LORD OUR BANNER! May we live in HIS RESURRECTION POWER as HE LEADS and HE BRINGS FORTH SALVATIONS and HIS MORE ABUNDANT LIFE and HIS KINGDOM COME on earth as it is in Heaven!
Chill. Bumps. I start to think, “how did she KNOW?” and then I remember that HE knows. He leads and guides and connects us in ways that are so incredible!
In two weeks, 64 ladies will come together for our IF: Gathering Northwest Arkansas at The City Church. Three Living Proof Live Simulcast events are being held within 20 miles of each other on the same weekend (First Baptist Church, Bentonville, Bentonville Church of the Nazarene, and Fellowship Bible Church).
Please pray for that THING that our God Almighty is doing by CONNECTING the hearts of these four churches rooting for each other! What do you have planned for us Lord?! What is this power you are stirring in our community!? Our lives are yours.
“Look up from the huddle to fields white for harvest.”
You are a tremendous encouragement to me, Jennie. I love what I’m seeing in your generation. What a privilege to witness it. A mighty harvest is coming from your labor, little sister. Stand firm, immovable. Jesus is so worthy.
Thanks Beth. It’s a good word.
Tanya
I have already commented today, but I feel very led to share a little further…
When I went to my first LPL conference in 2007 I had just began studying with JW’s, and by the grace of God He got me out…and you know what reading Beth’s post today, I want to add something that we as believers in our churches need to be careful of…I get what Beth means about “camps,” and from someone who has experienced a cult herself, let me just say that “camps,” borderline cult…and I don’t want to be mean in anyway by saying that, but a cult will make you feel less like you are worth being used by God because you have to meet some standard, a cult will make you feel like you need to cut off everyone in your life except those you attend, ” church,” with…more than not…you feel more alone when there are so many people around you.
I have attended churches since then that have reminded me of that traumatizing time…I texted a leader there and told them I was so happy about an experience with the Spirit that I wanted to share, and this person texted back,” Why don’t you share this with the church you didn’t leave.”…That my friends was a camp.
But you know what community is…a place that encourages you to get to know people in your everyday life, a place that encourages you to obey the Lord by the leading He gives you, and this community knows that you are being led by Him, a community is a place that will call you, but speak the truth in love…and if you are in the wrong, you are disciplined according to what is Biblical not by what “others” think should be done…A community should not just encourage us, but edify us…
After 15 years of that search I have that place, and I don’t feel guilty if I don’t go to church one day because I need rest or want to spend time with family…A community trusts you have a relationship with your Savior…and will hold you accountable.
And a community helps you to know how loved you are by God…if what is done, or said is not with love, then that more than likely is a camp…
I am sorry this was so long, but God did not give me this wisdom to not share it. I could have put my name, but it is not the point.
” Speak the truth even if your voice shakes.”
Thank you for sharing…it is so GOOD and TRUE!
Thank you, Beth, for this inspiring Confirmation. My husband & I keep moving with Jesus. Where ever he leads us. We are praying for his health right now. Hope you’ll join us! Thank you for expressing your love for Jesus with powerful words of scripture!
Amen! The timing on this post is incredible for me – only God! I have a meeting tomorrow where I need to present this exact concept as a challenge in a very strategic situation. Thank you, Beth, for sounding the alert & shaping the thoughts so effectively! You’re a blessing as you encourage us in our Focus.
Jan
Oh my! … I may be way off, but this felt like a good-bye! Not that it would be good!
Dearest Sister, I am praying for you.
I want you to know for sure your talent and time has not be wasted on this ‘girl’… I have been so blessed by you, your works/words and all your effort.
Thank you for once more teaching us… whatever the outcome! You are a dear mentor, teacher and disciple!
Much love to you… more than you’ll know this side of Glory! 🙂
May GOD shine His Favor on you today!
Not goodbye at all. This blog community has never been a camp in my eyes. Honored to serve you guys! May Jesus continue to be our only allegiance here!
Thank you! A great reminder break camp and Advance!
” What they didn’t believe is that God could do wonders “through them”…. so eye opening.. I do believe my God to be huge! There have been times I wondered if God could do that… through me. Believing God for great things as I advance for His kingdom :o)
Blessings
Sharon
Thank you Beth, by the Holy Spirit who is life while I am flesh may I/we continue to press into Jesus.
Refreshing! The Sun rose over the “night club” not the church….revival waits as the remnant goes forth WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, giving the message of GOD’s WORK for salvation through CHRIST ALONE! Revelation 12:11 overcoming by THE BLOOD OF JESUS and giving TESTIMONY OF THE GRACE OF GOD IN SAVING US OUT OF …..SO that we are willing to give our lives to have others know the greatness of HIS GLORY AND GRACE, TRIUMPHING MERCY, FORGIVENESS AND UTMOST LOVE! THERE IS NONE LIKE JESUS! May we surely proclaim HIS GLORY…make HIS PRAISE GLORIOUS! HE IS WORTHY! HIS LIFE GIVEN TO DEATH FOR OUR SOULS DEAD TO GOD BROUGHT FORTH INTO LIFE THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION OVER DEATH! CHRIST ALONE PURCHASED OUR SALVATION! HE ALONE GRANTED/GRANTS OUR ACCESS TO HIS FATHER! May the message of how GOOD GOD IS AND THE TRUE GOSPEL ADVANCE….MAY we truly be CONNECTED TO THE HEAD, JESUS CHRIST THE LORD and DO AS HE SAYS AS HIS BODY!
“We are called to break camp.” Not sure what that will look like for LPM but LORD SHOW UP MIGHTILY and protect BETH as your leader and confirm YOUR WORD and specifics to her campers…Remove unbelief and bring us into UNITY by YOUR SPIRIT! Bring forth YOUR INHERITANCE as we cross over…
“Break camp and advance.” May we GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES as the HOLY SPIRIT leads and may we truly be in allegiance with JESUS as our FIRST LOVE our WARRIOR KING our CAPTAIN OF SALVATION, our everything!….
“Here we get to pledge our affection to every brother and sister but here we pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.” Please LORD help us LOVE as YOU LOVE. Please keep us UNITED with CHRIST and our allegiance to YOU, LORD complete and ongoing in faithfulness to YOU to the end!
John 17 US LORD: UNITE US IN YOU LORD, through CHRIST ALONE! May we believe YOU WILL WORK THROUGH US, YOU ALONE MAKE US ABLE…help us proclaim your MESSAGE/TRUTH and worship in SPIRIT AND TRUTH. Please LORD, DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO!
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! (Revelation 7:9-10)
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Colossians 3:11 NIV
Thank you Beth for the CALL TO GO FORTH and for the boldness to declare HIS TIME TO ADVANCE! May we receive/surrender to the SPIRIT OF THE LORD as JOSHUA AND CALEB …but let nothing hold us back from GOD’s DIRECTION and the supreme task: to see people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ!
Corinthians 9:19-2 (KJV)
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Thank you Beth for living these Scriptures!
May we ALL LEAVE THESE kinds of CAMPS /churches:
Luke 11:52King James Version (KJV)
52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
ANY CAMP that takes away The key of knowledge — have obscured and destroyed the true knowledge of the Messiah, which is the key both of the present and the future kingdom of heaven…quickly may the remnant depart. Because by wrong interpretations of Scripture, they have filled the people with strong prejudices against the gospel, so that not only is it rejected , but others are hindered from receiving it, Woe to those camps!
May we follow JESUS as HE LEADS US INTO TRIUMPH! HE IS THE KEY! JESUS IS GOD AND HE IS MESSIAH KING in charge of all camps that bring forth salvation! May we ABIDE IN CHRIST and GO FORTH BOLDLY AND EXPECTANTLY!
I did a little research on “Breaking Camp”. Thought this Scripture worth noting:
(EPH 3:20) “NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US,”
HIS POWER WORKETH IN US!!!! We can count on HIM to bring forth HIS POWER/ BLESSINGS! The power of the resurrection is in us as believers: the blessing of CHRIST is the greatest blessing!
Such a good, good Word. So much to chew on and contemplate regarding multiple circles in my life. Er..camps.
Interesting: raised in hard-core camp-identity church where being a dutiful flag-bearer was the PRIMARY goal. BUT GOD…
Praise Him!
There’s always this pull even in camps not trying to bind me–as I’m so social and love connecting with people in my camps and was raised doing church this way–to get back in the habit of flag-bearing vs. cross-bearing.
I pray I hold fast to The Head. He is so worth it.
Yes, thank you Beth, but thank You Lord most of all, for giving Beth this message, for giving her a heart for You and for us, and for making her the wordsmith that she is. Thank You for giving her a love and a hunger for Your word, and thank You that she has been willing to bare her soul for the greater good. I was told by the devil for many years that people would be better off not hearing my testimony since most of my awful sins were committed after I was saved. Through Beth, God showed me the truth, praise His name!!!! His grace is more than amazing; it is indescribable. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
Amen and Amen. Thank you for reminding us that while camp is “fun” (like sitting around a camp fire toasting marshmallows and communing with nature), the real joy is in being out there in His world serving Him and His people…..
Beautifully relevant and as usual perfect in timing. He always tends to do that somehow. My life is so rich because of Siestaville, The Village, His perfect timing. Love y’all so!
Wow…just wow! timely and power-full words…thank you!
Lots to think about here, Beth…I will be praying for you, with the simulcast coming up. I am planning on going to a local church with a group of ladies to watch it. Have a blessed day today, Siesta Mama Beth.
Thank you , reading Hebrews 4this morning. Deleting contacts in phone, breaking camp.a side note , I’m still grateful for tickets to Lpm live in Memphis
Oh Beth my reply is not deep like others, but I must tell you I will not read Exodus 16:14 the same. I have been smiling each time I remember how you worded it:
You wrote: every dawn sprayed sunshine on a twinkling blanket of wonders. WOW! I am going to start each day with this thought. Thank You.
Always remember Jesus Loves You and so do I.
YES! AMEN!
My husband and I broke away from our camp a few years ago, we had “circled that mountain long enough”….and that is just what we were feeling like, going in circles. Our fellow campers now believe we have lost our salvation but our eyes are on Christ and we have no regrets.
Thank you for this.
Beth’s statement “The delay had not come because the people disbelieved that God could do wonders. They’d seen Him split the sea, swallow their foes, shower down bread, and spit water from rocks. What they disbelieved was that God could do wonders through them.” This idea shouted at me, and reminded me that God does work wonders through ordinary people in ordinary, imperfect circumstances.
These wonders that God works are not the “Hey, look what God is doing in Amanda’s life” sort of wonders. They are the “Hey, I want to think more about God” sort of wonders. My meaning, if it seems a bit fuzzy, is that the wonders that God works in our lives is not at all about what is going on in our lives,or how our lives are improved. IT IS ABOUT GOD’S GLORY. Period.
I have been without a permanent income for over a year now, and this is my struggle: I am so anxious to provide our household with some stable income, and it seems to me that God should be a little more concerned about it too. However, He isn’t. He is concerned about how His glory is reflected in my life and in all of our lives. Thank you, Beth, for reminding me that God can use my situation, however inperfect I think it is, for HIS GLORY!
Beth,
Thank you for “breaking camp” every time you approach the Scripture in order to allow the Spirit to proclaim God’s Word through you.
Still in exile,
Patty
Sherwood, OR
So I read this today on Day 1 of the Eleventh month of my 40th year. I knew instantly this specific dating was for me but had to go to the calendar before I continued reading and count it off just to be sure. So many things went through my mind as I finished the post but my heart knew that this message was also for me. I need to break camp and advance. I need to break camp with myself; my fear, my worry, my lack of confidence, my insecurity. I have won some major battles in ministry in the last year but I have always come back to camp and slept there not allowing those victories to be won in my soul as well. I need to break this camp and advance into the ministry He has called me to without allowing my fear to keep my mouth quiet. I need to trust that the message He has given me is worth speaking, worth stepping out for, and that the women who hear it will be blessed if it is spoken. God’s timing is impeccable as always, thank you for speaking with such precision and authority Beth. You are always in my prayers.
Dear Keri Lee,
Well, happy 11th month, day 1 of your 40th year! I love it when the Lord does that sort of thing!! Yes! We will pray for you as you advance in faith instead of fear. We bless you!!
Sherry
Thank you for sharing this Beth. What a blessing you are!! I know it’s from the “camps” where the hurt and wounded believers come from and those of us who have finely found a “community” are to give them back their hope through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Beth, Thank you for talking about breaking camp. I broke away from camp 3 years ago. The camp (church) where I formerly attended now has 8 “CAMPuses”. The focus of this camp was growing in numbers rather than growing its congregation spiritually. Since breaking away from this camp I’ve been attending a solid bible study group where I’m growing and utilizing my spiritual gifts as God intended. I’m praying for the leaders in the church institution. The fact that Jesus shows us how to BE ABOUT our Father’s business doesn’t mean that the church institution is to become a business. Keep teaching truth. God Bless!
Breaking Camps made me think of denominations and this whole mess that is going around on Facebook right now. Follow God not your denomination is a voice of this generation! What a refreshing word!
Dear Beth,
I read this, re-read this, and then, read this again. I wonder, did you guess that in sharing what God’s put on your heart today, you’d be “a pen to the ink of the Spirit” confirming what God has already been laying on so many of our hearts?
It’s thrilling to read the siesta’s comments! In them, I hear the reveille!
You have no idea what this means to me. Complete Confirmation. Thank you Beth!!
Oh Miss Beth,
BRAVO!!! My group is right in the middle of ‘The Law of Love’ study. I am learning so much and I think, hope, believe it is helping my fellow sojourners to advance with their walk with our Savior. I know it certainly has helped me become even closer with the Lord. I would absolutely love to just sit all day reading and learning more and more about scriptures, but the camp of one kid in college and one almost done with High School and involved in several sports has made it hard. Plus working a full time job, after a 17 year hiatus and living with MS, has made it difficult, but not impossible. However, I keep on trying even if it is just reading a devotional, singing, loudly and BADLY to worship music in the car, by myself of course. Those moments I have to shake myself out of feeling guilty about not spending HOURS in the scriptures, but praying all day long and thinking about God and believing God and knowing without a doubt that He has my back, is such encouragement. The Holy Spirit gave me a title to my book, I want to write one of these days, about my own journey. I will share it with you and all the other Siestas. ‘From Crisis to Christ’. I like it, now comes the hard part, gathering my thoughts, make an outline and just let the Holy Spirit guide my words and thoughts. I am ready to break camp and head into the promised land. Joshua 1:9 ‘Be strong and courageous do not be terrified, do not be discouraged because the LORD your God is with you (me), wherever you go.’ Yep, I am breaking camp, see you on the other side. 🙂
Thank you Beth! Beautiful!
Master who calmed the sea
Who died and gave us life eternally
How great You are
How mighty and powerful is Your love
That live through us even today
And calms the soul to rest
That leads and guides the way.
You have faced the dangers of life
And conquered death beyond the grave,
You have healed the sick and given to the poor,
Given us Yourself and life forever more.
The angels in Heaven shout Your very name,
Living glory that still remains
That wipes away sin and human pain,
You live forever,
Master who calmed the sea,
Always there for you and me.~joyce
Woohoo! Love it!
Honestly, I’m not sure how to read this with a clear biblical message. I’m hoping to “move about freely” here with my questions as a lifelong-learner and disciple, I do desire God’s truth from his holy Scripture.
Beth, your post here can be taken in a few different ways depending on the person who is reading it. So, context from where you are writing would be helpful, at least to me.
I can pretty much make it mean anything if I desire to justify my actions with permission from this post, as to why I am, “breaking camp.”
As I read it is seems you are leaving something that you know will have a huge impact on many of your followers and you are preparing them that they may need to “break camp” as you are “breaking camp” advancing from where you have been.
“We are called to break camp. Break camp and advance.”
What does this mean and what does this look like? I ask this sincerely.
“Our camps are stalling us. They’re distracting us, dividing us, detouring us and detaining us. They are depleting the energy we need for the supreme task: to see people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ with a clock ticking so fast and furiously that our heads are spinning like tops.”
I don’t understand this statement.
Biblically speaking if one is in a false church it would be a distraction from the truth of God’s word. This “camp” would be divisive, a detour from the truth, trying to keep us within their false theology. Is this what you are thinking as you write this?
I agree, our allegiance is to Christ Jesus and the truth of his word written down for us, he alone is our banner.
Yahweh Nissi — the LORD is our banner.
We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Psalm 20:5
[But now] You have set up a banner for those who fear and worshipfully revere You [to which they may flee from the bow], a standard displayed because of the truth. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 60:4
Thanks for your time in helping me understand.
I’m so glad you commented. My point was truly and strictly about affection to all but allegiance to Christ alone. Please forgive any other impression I gave you. I am so glad to say that my post was not toward something I was currently in the midst of breaking from but something I see rampant in the Body of Christ. Something troubling. I am not in process of leaving anything right now. At this season of my life I have the privilege to be part of several communities in which I can stay put and yet still go with Jesus. I’m so thankful. I’m honored to serve you. Thank you for writing in. (The new post I put up last night might bring some clarity that the “Break Camp” post did not. Thank you for your patience.)
Thanks for your response to help clarify, I know you are busy, so I appreciate it!
Blessings!
Oh, this hits so close for me right now. I have come to realize that my community may be a camp. I do not agree with every single belief but have let it slide because they are not core doctrines, and I dearly love the group of people in my community. The longer I have been a part of the community, I have seen that it is more steeped in traditions and their ways of thinking than stepping outside the box to go to the lost. There is a group of us that have a heart for outreach, but we can’t seem to get others on board. I am so torn because I do not feel that this group will ever change, but the thought of leaving breaks my heart. Any advice from somebody with experience or prayers would be greatly appreciated.
As I sit here and read this blog, I can’t tell you how this speaks life over me and my church. We have been under intense fighting for the past 2 years and have been beaten up and battered and bruised! Yet there is a remnant that refuses to quit. Just recently I said we have to push through and keep on keepin on as I truly believe that God is about to lift the cloud! Oh Beth could you please keep us in your prayers please? This church has been established for many years and has been used for the advancement of God’ s kingdom over and over! I can’t imagine He wants to see it destroyed now! We are climbing back up to our feet, but we so need the prayers of other saints! Thank you so much for this post today! It was a word from our Dad!!!! Love you so much and your ministry!
In His Love
Gigi