A Week Later - Debrief

What the Lord did at Crescent Lake Bible Camp last Wednesday is extremely hard to try to put into words...which may well be an indication that it was a God-thing as opposed to a sadly typical camp "high."

But I will try to recapture the event, as much as for my sake as anyone who may read this.

Now that a week has evaporated I can say with confidence it was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. The whole week was uniquely blessed (I'm sure as  a result of many, many people praying) but Wednesday evening was phenomenal.

I preached on the totality of God's forgiveness, and our responsibility, duty, and privilege to "pass it on" (Ephesians 4.32 etc).

I sat down, and the band began to facilitate worship (I hate the term "lead" worship)...as we sang I "heard" the voice of God in a firm, crystal-clear way. (No, I did not actually "hear" Him speak...) There was no arguing from me (amazingly enough)...

I walked through the teens to the front, motioned to 'Shua, the leader-of-the-band...he gave me the floor and I said something like,

"In the past 24 hours several of you have spoken to me of your addiction to pornography. It is rampant throughout our society...and it is terribly destructive and has long-lasting impact. The Bible says "confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." I am compelled to say this, if you are serious about repenting of this horrible sin and walking in newness of life, and are willing to publicly admit that sin  even as you pray for yourself and others, I want to open the front of the chapel (extremely confined and crowded with music equipment) and suggest you come and physically kneel, pray, be prayed for."

I then sat down...and many students and counselors came and knelt, both young men and ladies. Sobs were heard, prayers were heard, and it was a clear demonstration of God's convicting Spirit.

Perhaps 90 minutes transpired. I was going to take some video, and then felt it was too holy a time to record. Students were still kneeling and praying as we dismissed the crowd (cancelling the evening game).

I was pretty certain it was a Spirit-thing when the students left...silently. Hardly a word was heard...and the teens gathered in their "team" groups.

A moment or two later prayers were again heard all over the campground, and a bit later a group started singing...this perhaps lasted another hour. I really lost all track of time, and as I later spoke to staff, counselors, and students...we all did.

Rather than have the teens meet in their cabin groups for closing, someone made the decision to have all the males meet in one building and all the females to meet in another. I went to the men's meeting and, after realizing they were all looking at me to speak and lead, I said, "I have to go call my wife" and left...feeling with my departure they'd be free to share...

These meetings lasted another hour or so...

The next morning several campers and staff spoke to me individually of their conviction, repentance, and desire to be delivered from the trap of pornography. Since then I have received letters, emails, and calls from many.

It looks bland on paper...but it was incredible in person.

Pray for the continue working of Spirit of God in the lives of those who were genuine. Only God knows. But the adversary will fight hard, yet "greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world."

As I told the campers, in order to follow through with various decisions, they may have to set their standards higher than their parents as far as what music to listen to, what tv to watch, and where computers should be (it is idiotic to have a tv or computer in a teen's room).

All I can say, all I can beg, is "God, please do it again!"