7pm Weekend Away @ Victor Harbor SA (24 - 26 April 2009)

This is the first camp since I came back to Australia. Victor Harbor is not foreign to me. I have been to this place for many times since the first time I stepped on Australia's soil, and it's not my first camp in Victor Harbor. If I'm not wrong, this is already my third camp in Victor Harbor.

The theme for this camp is "Body-Building", speaks by James Harrick. Contrary to worldly view of "body-building", it is not about building up our muscle, but more to the building up of our spiritual body.

According to James, we already have the perfect body in Christ. We were dead in our transgression but because of God's great love, we were made alive. God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with him (Ephesians 2: 1-5). Therefore as a Christian, we already have a perfect body. Not just that we have a perfect body, we also belong to the perfect church body. However, we are not there yet. Since we have been raised with Christ, we have to set our hearts on things above, not on earthly things. Put to death whatever belongs to the earthly nature. Also we have to get rid of such things like anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from our lips (Col 3:1-10).

At this point, I was wondering when we already have a perfect body, why do we still have work on it? If it's perfect, means that it's without flaw. After becoming a Christian, it's obvious that many are still sinning in their own way, how could we be considered perfect when in fact are not?

On the second talk, James continued with how to keep our body in perfect condition. We will be hungry again when we feed on earthly things. The only solution is that we must feed on the "bread of life" - that's Christ. Effectively, if want to be full, 'eat' Christ! All other earthly thing such as new car, money, career , sex, victory, etc will only lead us into the destruction of our body and mind.

We got to be self-feeder. We can't for our entire life let others to feed us. Even if we let others to feed us, we got to make sure that the feeders are of decent value. Now, how to be a self-feeder? First of all, we have to believe in the Son of God (i.e Jesus Christ) that the the Almighty had sent to us 2000 years ago, and He is still living today. We pursue a personal relationship with Christ, and putting our hope in Him. That's the first step, and probably the hardest step for most non-Christian before they believe in Him. After that, as a Christian, we got to read the Bible, preferably everyday and pray to God the Almighty for all our need and also the people around us. We should abstain ourselves from feeding on rubbish from the world. Focus our sight on Christ alone.

Third talk: We are not individual. Our body is built as part of God's family. We often heard some Christian saying that they don't go for service but yet Christ is in their heart, so it doesn't really matter whether or not they go for service. Some even says that since God already died for us on the cross, all our sins are forgiven, and therefore we are not bounded by the law anymore (i.e. we can sin thereafter). However, the apostle John made it clear on 1 John 1:6 that "if we claim to have fellowship with him (Christ) yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." It is in Him that we have fellowship with one another. Therefore we must love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must accept them for who they are and forgive them of their wrong doings.

Apart from building our own body, we must help one another to build their body too. We must speak to one another truth in love (i.e. God's word). "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another." (Heb 10:25) These are the least that we can do for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

As apostle John put it, "let us not live with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18) As Christ laid down down his for us, we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters too. We got to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honor one another above ourselves. We confess our sins to each other and pray for one another so that we may be healed.

We carry each other burdens as brothers and sisters to fulfill the law of Christ. We must love our neighbor as ourselves.

I pray to God that He may gives me the strength and the heart to my love my brothers and sisters as my own body regardless of their background. Amen.