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Rise Of The Camp Meeting

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July 5 - Rise of the Camp Meeting-1

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For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place which the Lord will choose. Deut. 16:15, RSV.

The ancient Israelites punctuated the religious year with a series of festivals during which the people left their homes and journeyed to meet together for several days of religious edification.

While we have no exact parallel to the Jewish feasts in the Christian Era, the camp meeting had many of their attributes. Camp meetings had played a large role in the revivals of early nineteenth-century Morth America and in the Methodist and Millerite movements, but the first one specifically called by Seventh-day Adventists would take place in Wright, Michigan, in September 1868.

The Review announcement for it on Agust 18 stated that "this meeting has not beeb appointed for the purpose of spending a few days in recreation and vanity. Nor has it been appointed as a novelty, for the purpose of calling out the idel and the curious who might not otherwise be reached. Nor do we by this means merely seek to gather a large concourse of people, that we may thereby make a display of our strength. We have a very different object in view.

"We desire to call out as many of our brethren, both preachers and people, as we can, and also as many of our unconverted fellowmen as we may be able to interest in this meeting, that we may do them good.

"We want all who shall come to this meeting to come for the purpose of seeking God. We want our brethren to come for the purpose of seeking a new conversion. We want our preachers to set them in this an example worthy of imitation.

'We desire also to see many of our fellowmen who have no interest in Christ, or at least no knowledge of the present truth, converted to the Lord, and rejoicing in the light of His truth."

There we have it.

The purpose of the camp meeting was for the edification and instruction of the saints, the conversion of those church members who needed it, and to introduce the third angel's message to those who hadn't accepted it or even heard it.

In short, the camp meeting was to be a spiritual feast of the first order, put on by the Adventists for the entire community.

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Christian is to grow by co-operating with the divine agencies. Feeling our helplessness, we are to improve all the opportunities granted us to gain a fuller experience. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to take deep root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and the rain, we are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit(COL 67).

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