Monk’s Musings: Holiness and Purity

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

2 Timothy 2:20-21

At the recent Fathers & Sons Camp, Mark reminded us men of the promise above. Paul wrote this to a young man, Timothy, whom he was discipling. And he went on to explain that we are to “flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Purity and holiness matter to God! Do we want to be a clean instrument, useful to the Lord? Useful in our marriage, our family, our church and wherever God has placed us? If so, we should accept fully the cleansing Jesus offers us through his blood, and learn to live more and more the holy life that accords with our new identity in Christ.

May we all, men and women, become pure gold and silver instruments in the hands of the Master Craftsman and Healer. Let us not settle for muddling along through life as mediocre wood and clay vessels, stubbornly hanging on to habits that dirty us and make us only fit for common use. Let us live up to the standard of members of the Royal House of God. We are no longer urchins living in the gutters; we’ve been adopted as children of the Most High King! May the Lord help us to grow in purity and holiness, out of a deep love for Him.

May we also proclaim this message to our families, neighbours and friends, testifying to the Gospel of God’s Grace! And join us in thanking God for all He has done in so many lives at Beacon this year. Pray for those who have come to salvation and for those who have taken steps of increasing commitment and maturity in following Jesus.

And may God bless you too!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk’s Musings: Jesus Has Risen Indeed!

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:19-20.

We’re half way through the Fall Camp Season. The leaves are turning red and golden, and many have fallen and carpet the roads and trails with a blaze of colour. This season reminds us that all biological life comes to an end. However, the Christian hope is that after death we go to be “with the Lord, which is better by far”! This living hope is founded on the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his crucifixion and burial. God arranged things in such a way that many witnesses could testify to his resurrection: women who knew him well, sceptical disciples, hardened Roman soldiers, even his enemies could not explain away the missing body. Saul of Tarsus, one of the most zealous enemies of the new Christian faith was transformed into the apostle Paul after his encounter with the risen Christ! And this same Paul reminds us that “IF” the resurrection is a scam, then the whole of Christianity falls. “BUT”, he says, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead”! And so, as we are each reminded of our own frailty and mortality, we can rest secure in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ!

May all of us rejoice in the sure hope of the resurrection and the imminent return of Jesus Christ to take up his church to be with him forever. May we boldly share this good news with our families, neighbours and friends. If this is true, it is the most important truth in the world! And pray for us all at Beacon, as we seek to bear witness to the truth of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the message would be communicated clearly and respectfully, and the Holy Spirit would convict many to turn in faith and grow in the Lord Jesus.

We thank you for your friendship, prayers and encouragement. We hope to see many of you return for some of our upcoming Camps here at Beacon Bible Camp. Look us up on the web and register soon!

May God bless you!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk’s Musings: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”

2 Corinthians 13:14

We’re at the end of the Summer Season and about to start the Fall Season. Our last camp was Oasis Family Camp at which we studied the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Three Persons and yet One God. The Nicene Creed begins with the words: “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father…” And further on it says: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son…” We pondered on who God is: The Holy, Uncreated Creator, Eternal and Unending, Author of Life, God of Love. And we marvelled that Father, Son and Holy Spirit should have acted together to bring about our salvation, as we are all invited to experience the Love of the Father, the Grace of Jesus Christ, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit!

May we all rejoice in the infinite Love of the Father for us, His children. May we appropriate and enjoy the many gifts we receive through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we grow in the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, as we grow closer to God and to our fellow believers in the Church, the body of Christ.

We trust that Beacon has helped you grow in your appreciation, worship and love for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May He be truly Sovereign in every aspect of our lives. We hope to see many of you return for another session at Beacon, to be built up in your faith, and to serve Him by helping campers grow in their relationship with God and one another.

May the Triune God bless each one of us as we worship and grow closer to him each day.

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk’s Musings: Built up in our Most Holy Faith

“But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” Jude 20-21

We’re in the middle of the Summer Camp Season. Last night I lay on my back on the Beacon dock with a bunch of campers staring up at the stars strewn about on the velvety dark summer sky.  We looked up at the Milky Way, and I pointed out some constellations and showed them where our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda may be seen as a faint fuzzy patch close to Pegasus and Cassiopeia. They exclaimed at the appearance of each shooting star, and together we marvelled at the enormity of the universe and praised God in our hearts for his awesome power and majesty.

God uses both his “Books” - Creation and the Bible - to build up our faith and encourage us to respond in prayer through His Spirit. This is one of the ways He keeps us in his love and strengthens us in our walk until Jesus returns and we enter the fullness of eternal life with Him. And so Jude encourages in the verses above to be active in building up our lives based on the most holy faith that is found in Jesus Christ. May we all grow in such a way, with open eyes and ears and hearts, quick to listen and observe and willing to respond to His whispers and promptings.

We thank you for your prayers and support for each camper and volunteer here at Beacon. May God speak loud and clear to each one. May their lives may be transformed as they respond willingly to his voice. That’s why Beacon Bible Camp came into being 62 years ago, and that’s why we still exist.

And may each one of us, whether at camp or at home, at work or at play, continue to be built up in our most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. May we too keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life.

May God bless each one of you during the rest of this Summer!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk’s Musings: God Fulfills His Promises

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19

Towards the end of Israel’s pilgrimage through the desert, and shortly before they entered the promised land, the Lord spoke these words through Balaam, a pagan prophet from an enemy nation, who wanted to curse God’s people, but ended up reluctantly blessing them instead. These same words echo down through the centuries, warning unbelievers that God’s purposes will stand, that His promises will be fulfilled; that it is futile to fight against God. But these same words are a source of untold blessing and encouragement to believers, as we learn to trust His promises and lean on His assurances, loving Him and serving Him, knowing that our faith is not in vain! So “let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23).

As our Summer Camps have already begun, we too have been able to verify that God has kept His promises by providing the necessary Summer Staff, engaging committed teams of Directors, Teachers, Cabin Leaders and Kitchen Volunteers, and especially by working in the lives of campers and their families who have registered to come and enjoy a week at Beacon, developing friendships, growing their skills, and learning about God and His special promises to each of them! Please join us in praying for each of our girls’ and boys’ camps, for our youth camps and family camps, so that God would richly bless each camper and volunteer who spends a week living or serving in this lovely corner of the beautiful Canadian Muskoka country.

May we all learn to trust the Lord God to fulfil His wonderful promises to each of us!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk's Musings: Paddle Hard but with Love

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Canoeing is fun, but it can also be hard work, especially if you have a strong headwind blowing against you. Is your Christian life characterized by work, labour and endurance? These are wonderful things, but as Martha found out, they can be done out of a sense of bitter duty that judges and complains about others. Is your walk with Jesus filled with faith, love and hope? These are inner qualities that others cannot see directly, but if we truly have these in our hearts, the result will be visible work and labour for the Lord and joyful endurance to see tasks completed to the best of our abilities.

In Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, he often encouraged them to grow in these three inner virtues. These will help us at home and at work, at church and at school, and yes, even here at camp! So, whatever we do, may we too paddle the canoe of life hard but joyfully, motivated by the love of Jesus. And as we serve the Lord and others, may we be driven by faith, love and hope!

Summer is finally here, and Beacon Bible Camp is beckoning many of you to come and join us. For the many of you who plan to volunteer, we challenge you to take to heart Paul’s words. Whether you will serve in the kitchen, as Summer Staff, as cabin leader, or director, come filled with faith, love and hope, so you will work joyfully, even with the difficult and tiring tasks that will test our endurance. God is faithful, and He will help us all!

May the Lord bless and guide each one of us this Summer and during the rest of the year!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk's Musings: Leaders & Willing Volunteers

Deborah and Barak sang, When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord! My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord! Judges 5:1-2,9

Last week I came across the verses above in our devotional at the table, and it reminded me of the many “willing volunteers” we have at Beacon every year! Also of the many “princely leaders” who come to Beacon to lead campers, teach lessons, direct sessions, and grow in leadership skills. Deborah & Barak praised God for those who served courageously in Israel’s time of need, including Jael, an otherwise unknown woman, through whom God gave Israel a great victory. The same chapter speaks of others who “searched their hearts… but stayed among the campfires”, and others who “lingered by the ships” and “remained on the coast” because “they did not come to help the Lord against the mighty”.

Today, there is also a mighty enemy who seeks to enslave children, youth and families to deception and falsehood. Who will volunteer to take them the gospel of truth, telling them that there is forgiveness and salvation and true life to be found in the Name of Jesus, the Son of God, who died on the cross and rose victorious from the grave?

Many of you have volunteered at Beacon in the past, and many of you have already signed up to serve God in one way or another. We too praise the Lord for each one of you! However, God is still looking for more volunteers, in many varied roles: Is God perhaps calling you to courageously “offer yourself” also? Perhaps at camp, or maybe at your church or youth group. We would encourage you to invest your life for God and His people in one of these many strategic ways. So, whether as a camper, cabin leader, session director, or other volunteer, we look forward to seeing you soon!

We wish you courage and fulfilment as you serve the Lord!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Nature Journaling

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

FOS means First of Season. FOTY means First of the Year. Both of these terms are used by naturalists to report seeing the first of a species for the year, especially in springtime. Examples are FOS robin, red-winged blackbird and bluebird. It can also be applied to other animals, such as a FOS salamander, raccoon, chipmunk, garter snake, butterfly or even a FOTY mosquito!

Recording when we first see an animal is part of the joy of spring, as we look for signs to the end of the winter’s cold, and look forward to warmer days. When such records are done year-over-year they become a journal for comparing information over time, such as whether the FOS robin is earlier or later than last spring, (my FOS robin is March 14th this year compared to March 8th last year). Nature journaling is a great way to create these records, and makes us more aware of these natural events in the process.

Nature journaling can take many forms, and be as personal as you. It can be just a list of dates as mentioned previously, such as an annual bird list, or a record of the sequence of spring wildflowers. When more information is added, such as the weather conditions for that day, and where the animal or plant was seen, (or heard) – in your backyard, in the local park, or maybe a location at Beacon -- the record holds even more value. Add some sketches of what was seen, or a photo, and the journal takes on an added dimension. Together with some personal thoughts jotted down in the moment, and its value is still greater, creating something tangible that can be revisited years later, and even handed down to the next generation.

An example could be a record of a nature walk done in early spring which lists the various sightings, shows a sketch of a butterfly, records the date, and time of day and weather, and comments on what kinds of behaviour were observed.

Committing to nature journaling encourages regular exploration outdoors, whether it’s around your neighbourhood, or a favourite place you like to visit, such as a local park or beach, or while you are at

Beacon. Journaling also forces you to take a second look at what is all around at any given point in time, to record it, and then try to make sense of it. If you see an early butterfly landing on a maple you may notice it as it angles itself to the warm spring sun, then watch it sip some sap from under a broken branch. Note what colours it has to help with identification, but also note its behaviour – why is an adult butterfly around so early? how will it survive without flower nectar? where did it spend the winter?

As we get outside regularly and build our journal we not only grow in our appreciation of God’s incredible Creation but also see His love in providing us with an amazing place to live now, and a home in heaven with Him through His gift of salvation.

Monk's Musings: Fly, Run & Walk

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Dogs run, eagles fly and people walk. Which do you prefer? As a boy, my ambition was to become a pilot and fly aircraft. I got as far as two years of training as a cadet pilot with the RAF. But then I realized that while I enjoyed flying as a hobby I couldn’t do it as a full time job. And so God led me into engineering and then high school teaching and then missionary work. I quit flying and then ran, and finally walked. Life slowed me down.

Some months ago, I heard a speaker commenting on the verse above, puzzled as to the order of the three verbs: Surely the progression should be to walk, then run and finally fly? But upon reflection, he realized that the prophet was encouraging us all to persevere in following the Lord, even when our strength runs out, and we are weary and stumble and fall. As winter drags along, with its heavy burden of snow and cold and grey skies, how are you feeling? In the midst of the inevitable colds and flu, or worse, is your strength giving way? May we all “hope in the Lord” so He can “renew our strength”. May we persevere with Him, whether we’re flying, running or just walking!

Perhaps God is calling you this year to fly for Him, or maybe to run with Him. But possibly what He really wants is for you to walk with Him. In your weakness and weariness, He calls you to not give up. To put one foot in front of the other, and do the next good thing He has prepared for you to do. Perhaps part of that may be serving God at Beacon, as a cabin leader, summer staff, teacher or cook. Setting apart time to commit to coming to Beacon to love and serve our campers in any capacity. So we would also encourage you to invest your life for eternity in this strategic way. Whether as a camper or as a volunteer, we look forward to seeing you at Beacon soon!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Deer In Winter

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the
heights.” Psalm 18:32 & 33

Which animal hibernates during the winter, but still walks around every day?
Not a groundhog. They sleep all winter, except on Groundhog’s day.
Not a skunk. They sleep most of the time during the winter.
So do most raccoons, (unless they live in Toronto).
Chipmunks sleep most of the winter, though sometimes get up for a snack.
And bears sleep all winter, too.
Have you guessed? It’s a deer!

Deer are awake every day in the wintertime, but they are also hibernating! They do a ‘walking’ hibernation because they can’t find the grasses and other green plants that they normally eat during the rest of the year.

To help them survive the winter deer grow a layer of fat in the fall by eating acorns and beech nuts. That layer of fat helps them when there is not much to eat during the long winter.

They also grow a coat of long hair. This hair is hollow inside, and much thicker than normal hair, so it keeps the deer warm, even when it is really cold and windy.

They still eat during the winter, browsing on cedars, and the twigs and buds of young trees and shrubs, such as sumacs. They may visit a backyard bird feeder and eat the seeds that spill onto the ground.

The female deer, called does, are especially hungry because they are pregnant, usually with twins. And their fawns from last spring may still be with them, though they are almost fully grown, and can find food for themselves.

Because deer are unguligrade, that is, are hooved and walk on the tips their hooves, they cannot move about as easily in deep snow. When the snow gets deep, as it has this winter, the deer make ‘yards’. These are a series of paths, usually located in a group of cedar or hemlock trees for shelter, or in a swamp near a river or lake so they have water, and shrubs and young trees to browse. They stay in these ‘yards’ to save their energy. But living in such a restricted space makes it easier for predators, such as wolves, to find them. And, if the snow is really deep it’s hard for the deer to escape.

Winter is hard for deer, but a ‘walking hibernation’ helps them survive until spring comes, when there are grasses and other green plants for them to eat!