<> THE INTERMOUNTAIN MEN’S Camp was held at High Peak Camp. |
More than 180 men attended the Intermountain Division Men’s Camp 2004 at High Peak Camp near Estes Park, Colorado. This beautiful and peaceful setting allowed us to put away our distractions and was perfect for keeping our minds on God. Surrounded by mountains chiseled and shaped by God’s mighty hand it is much easier to contemplate his shaping of our small lives and much easier to understand that he is able to carve away the hardened sin in our hearts giving us the living, breathing heart of a godly man.
The Friday evening service opened with Captain John Bennett, Denver South Valley New Heights Corps, leading us in praise and worship. Captain Don Sheppard, Fort Collins Corps, followed with a skit involving Shane Miller and David Eliason from that corps. Sheppard spoke movingly of our need for Christ in our lives, and in conclusion asked those who wanted to accept Christ into their lives to come forward. Over 30 men responded, including Keith, a last minute addition to the Fort Collins Corps group. Keith had been found the week before in his home not breathing and clinically dead from a self-administered overdose of prescription medications. Fort Collins Corps had prayed for him as he was taken to the emergency room to be revived. Keith has now received life twice over! God revived his body in the hospital and restored his soul at High Peak Camp.
The Holy Spirit ministered to us powerfully all weekend. Major Ron Gilden gave an intense Bible study on the fruit of the spirit from Galatians 5: 22-23. Major Phil Lum spoke on repairing broken relationships; Major David Howarth instructed in the spiritual disciplines. Saturday evening was rounded off with Major Ronda Gilger giving a frank talk about what a woman wants in her Christian man; she shared a video of a man who really valued his life and his wife. It introduced evangelist David Ring.
Ring was afflicted with cerebral palsy from birth but testified to God’s will changing the impossible into the possible in his life. Everyone, even his own family, told him no woman would ever marry him. But God showed them all wrong. His wife stood up in the audience and he brought forward four beautiful children. He asked us, “I have cerebral palsy, what’s your problem?” It was the most humbling video I have ever seen.
I couldn’t help but think of the men who could have been there but weren’t. I prayed God would lead them to find him in ways as anointed by the Holy Spirit as this camp retreat had been.