Transformed To Be Like Yeshua

Dear readers, I have just arrived back from youth camp. When you think about youth camp, do you think of fun games and crazy activities, lots of joking, vibrant and entertaining speakers, emotionally touching climaxes, and an exhilirating time? I don't know. That's not my experience with youth camp :). There's nothing wrong with those things, and I did enjoy a lot of funny moments, jokes, and a jolly time of fellowship.

The verse that kept coming up as the theme verse if the camp was,

"I beseech you therefore bretheren, by the mercies of God,
That you present your bodies, a living sacrifice.
Holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world
But be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)

It was a verse I had memorized years back, later sung, and now became even more of reality for me over the years, the reality having been intensified more and more and continues to remain real and alive.

¹) When I think back, the most outstanding, dominant, and wonderful part of this camp was the reality of God. I know God's presence was there, because I felt a lot of conviction. I didn't feel condemned, but just convicted of God's holiness by what was preached. And that is how I knew that God was speaking to me. Even in times of fellowship and fun (during break times), there was such a reverence for His presence that filled my heart. The whole land was so sweet and soaked in the presence of God and there was such a grace for fasting and prayer. I don't take such a thing lightly, And I pray God forgive me if I misrepresent Him in the way I write of Him and speak of Him.

2) The theme of the camp was "Transformed to be like Yeshua". It's not just a theme of a camp, or a logo on a t-shirt to me. It's really should be the goal and purpose of our life, to be transformed in Yeshua's image and likeness, to be really in Him and He is us, and to be one with Him. What really struck me was the hearts of the other youths. I feel at times like this that I am not alone, that there are others that really love God even more than I do, that serve Him more than I do, and really whoeheartedly love God's Word a lot more than I do. In worship and prayer, I never saw such youth - they exuberated such LOVE for God, such humility, such longing and desire for God, and such spiritual stature. I feel humbled, especially learning about the sin of youthful pride and arrogance (YHWH preserve me from that, and change my heart), and about being a servant. (Make me a servant, YHWH, not just at youth camp, not just in front of others, but give me a spirit of servanthood.)

3) The Word that was preached was constantly a hard-hitting, convicting, challenging Word. Long hours of sitting at the feet of God's faithful servants and ministers, going through the Word of God thoroughly, from Scripture to Scripture, praying for hours on end, it was not easy. I feel I really have to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. I suppose you could say it was a "youth camp" so much as a "youth training" experience. Being raised as soldiers in the armies of God, we have to be disciplined. Constant emphasis on HOLINESS and being SET-APART from the World was always there. I know I'm not there yet. We were constantly rebuked, constantly instructed, and constantly convicted. Such a distinction between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of Satan and this world was made, that one's personal compromises, no matter how trivial, are shown for what they really are in God's sight. Such a standard was shown (God's Holiness) that cannot justify spiritual complacency. The love and praise of this world and self was shown for what it really was. Again, HOLINESS. Without holiness one cannot see God. We are to be holy, just as Yeshua was holy. Such a reverance for God was instilled in us, and such a reality of the Judgment and wrath of God, as well as His love. We were constantly shown the plumb line, the ruler, to show us and impress in us the reality of hell, sin, demonic oppression, lies and deception. Yet such a gravity of Spirit, such a whole, perfect shalom lay over us. Repentence is a lost art in many of our lives today. As a child of God, one thorughout one's life must be found on one's knees in complete hopelessness in our self yet having such faith in God.

The importance of Prayer was stressed again and again. The peaceful, refreshing times waiting on YHWH that put an end to every desire and pleasure of self were eternally benefitial. The world's systems, goals, and ways were exposed for what they truly are - the deception of Satan, who is all out to drag us into eternal abyss and suffering, because he hates us, because we were created in the image of God.

As soldiers, one must know who one's enemy is. One must know his goals and his tactics. And out enemy is Satan, for he is all out to steal, kill, and destroy. Only when we are totally transformed into Yeshua and we are found on our knees, seeking fot the Kingdom of God, only when we live such a life of obedience and submission to God and love of delight in His Word, only then have we been completely brought into the liberty and power and dominion to which Yeshua has completed in us. And yet the life, the love, the obedience, is all a gift to us from Yeshua.

We were always reminded of sanctity, that is, the importance of keeping our bodies set-apart and holy, because we are the temple of the Living God.

3) Even the songs we sang really were along these lines, these spiritual boundaries along the narrow way. Tthe kinds of songs we sang we of love towards God, of total laying down of our lives in surrender to Him, of His Kingdom, of His power, of His glory, of His magnificence, and especially of His holiness and our desire to be like Him. And sometimes I opened my eyes to look around when worshipping, to see youths on their faces, on their knees, just worshipping God. It really didn't matter who was looking at them, because it was just between each individual and God. And it really wasn't a song anymore, because to me it became a prayer.

I can say that I learnt a lot and spent a lot of time in God's presence, but time will really tell whether I will keep steadfastly to the Word which God Himself has made a revelation to me and to all of us, whether I will keep myself in the Love of God, whether I will hold fast, and whether I will run that race with such fixing of my eyes upon the goal, whether I will submit to God, and whether I will build my life of the solid rock of God and all His eternal will, purpose, and treasure.

My bottom line is this. Contrary to the usual youthful nature and aptitude, we were taught holiness, maturity, reverence, respect, and fear of God. We were taught to not just think about the sinful goals, pleasures, and purposes of this life (which may not be outright sin), but to look at Yeshua, to love Him, seek Him, and most of all, just be IN HIM:

"We can do nothing else but watch and wait,
enthusiastically,
Totally taken up,
Deaf towards anyone who would confuse us with doubts,
Blind towards anything that comes between us and that future of God.

Only one thing is of importance to us.

We want to see Yeshua
We want to hear Yeshua,
We want to know Yeshua,
We want to receive Yeshua,
We want to serve Yeshua.

We want inconceivably nothing else.

In any case, nothing like WE WANT YESHUA!"








(Adapted from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Somehow this paraphrase of sorts sums up the whole camp very pertinently.)
Do Read Also:
What is the difference between holiness and legalism? (Askdrbrown.org)