- Gilgal (Hebrew: galal) — to roll away, a circle of stones.
For over two decades, I’ve loved attending our church’s annual camps. Every June, we eagerly drove up to Malaysia, always expecting to encounter God in a special way—and He never disappointed.
Church camp became our family’s top priority, even before planning holidays. It was our deep well, watering hole, and Jordan River all in one—a place to drink deeply from His river of delights, and also the turbulent river through which God safely brought us into His promises.
In earlier years, when camper numbers were smaller, it was easier to absorb the mind of Christ through one or two speakers. There was a beautiful coherence- and fewer competing voices meant we were more often on the same spiritual page.
Above all, extended times of worship gave God space to be enthroned in our midst—a luxury often squeezed out of regular services. That’s when the river would truly flow: healing, deliverance, repentance, and renewal would break forth in the anointing.
Yes, there was shopping and food, but those were always secondary. Our spiritual hunger took precedence.
In recent years, however, a post-COVID shift has taken place. The days of coasting on past revivals are waning. Until God sends a fresh outpouring, we must prepare with urgency for the next season. This is not the hour to sleep.
Today, spiritual experiences can be manufactured with the right lighting, music, or media. Even ChatGPT is being asked to interpret tongues, dangerously replacing the Holy Spirit in the minds of some. We must update our “mind-skins” and recognize that the spiritual battle is intensifying.
This is no time for spiritual hopscotch or a frog-in-the-well kind of Christianity. The world is in chaos. We must wake up to the season we are in. As Jeremiah 6:16 warns:
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.”
So, what are these ancient paths?
As I reflected on church camps, Joshua chapters 4 and 5, and the concept of Gilgal came strongly to mind. In the Bible, camps were places marked by God’s Presence, Holiness, and Purity. They symbolized unity, identity, and preparation for battle.
Let’s break down Camp Gilgal:
1- Memorial Stones (Joshua 4)
After Israel crossed the dry Jordan riverbed, God instructed them to set up 12 stones at Gilgal as a memorial. These were to remind future generations of His power—and to strike fear into their enemies.
● What memorial stones have we gathered from church camp? What memorial stones did we bring from the past year?
● Which testimonies of God’s power have we shared that would strike fear in the hearts of our enemies?
● Testimonies exalt Jesus and inspire faith. What breakthroughs can we commemorate from the last camp to this one?
2- Circumcision and Consecration (Joshua 5:1-12)
Ten days later, God told Joshua to circumcise the new generation born in the wilderness. Afterward, they celebrated Passover in the Promised Land, and then the manna ceased.
● Have you allowed God to circumcise your heart and mouth?
● Was there a fresh consecration made at camp?
● Did you allow Him to heal the wounds of the past year?
● Has God rolled away any lingering shame and false identity?
● Are you ready to trust Him for new provision, now that the old manna may have stopped?
3 – Encounter with the Commander (Joshua 5:13-15)
Joshua meets the Commander of the Lord’s Army—Jesus in pre-incarnate form—and falls face down. This was a holy moment, a divine commissioning before Jericho.
● Did you have a God-moment at camp—a time you knew you were standing on holy ground?
● Did He speak to you? Give you a rhema word?
● Has He shown you the battles ahead and assured you of victory?
As we prepare for the “Jericho battles” of the coming year, it’s vital we’ve received our orders at Camp Gilgal. If you were too distracted, exhausted, or full of durian to hear Him clearly, it’s not too late. Fall on your face now, in reverence and repentance, and ask:
“What message does my Lord have for His servant?”
