Looking for Your Very Best with God in 2015? Here are six things to help you along the way.

     It should every Christian's desire to be constantly growing closer to God. An active prayer life, consistent Bible reading and Church attendance are the foundations of Spiritual Growth. I want to share with you six things that I think will help you grow even more in 2015!  This is not a complete list and I would love to hear your suggestions as to what should be added. Have a wonderful and blessed year!

1. Lose the Pride

James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

     One of the biggest things holding back Spiritual Growth in Christians is their refusal to ask for help.  Men, in particular, seem to see asking for help as a weakness when actually it is a sign of wisdom and strength. None of us are able to do it alone, we all need help. Help from the church, help from loved ones and most importantly, help from God. Get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit do His work in your life. Let Him lead you and empower you.

     James 4:6 tells us that “God resisteth the proud”, let that sink in. God does not ignore the proud He actively works against them. Life is hard enough with fighting with God along the way. Lose the pride and let God be God.

2. Start Serving

Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV) “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

     We are all created on purpose and for a purpose. What is your purpose? One of the quickest ways to find your purpose is to start serving anywhere in the Church. Once you show your desire to serve God He will quickly show you if where you are serving is the right place or not. Step out and make the commitment to serve by serving.

     Don’t confuse serving man with serving God. God’s work flows through the local, not above it or around it. Be cautious of “para-ministries” that operate outside of God’s ordained institution of the local church. More often than not, man’s plans for you are not God’s plans for you.

3. Love like God

1 John 4:19 states, “We love him, because he first loved us.”

     Love to the World is intangible. Poets and authors have been trying to nail down what love is for thousands of years, with little success.  God nailed down what love is on the cross of Calvary, where His Son sacrificed Himself for you. God’s love is tangible.

     To love like God we must also make our love real. Anybody can talk about love, but to love like God love must be expressed. We can’t love sitting the pew we must get up and go out into our communities. Pray and look for opportunities to show God’s love. Seek out the shut-ins and the hungry. Go beyond your neighborhood and take Christ’s love to the world by making plans to join your church on a short term foreign mission trip.

1 John 4:8 (KJV) “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

4. Let it go

Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

     I am one of the few people who have yet to see the Disney movie Frozen.  Nerveless, despite my best efforts, I have not been able to avoid it’s theme song “Let it Go”. There is a lot of theology in that simple phrase.

Has someone hurt you or someone you love – Let it go
Were you fired for something that wasn’t your fault – Let it go
Has someone talked about you behind your back – Let it go

     This year make a habit of forgiving others. Living in a state of unforgiveness will destroy your Spiritual Growth, damage your other relationships and even damage your health. All the while doing nothing to the person you are holding the grudge against.

     Forgiving someone doesn’t let that person off the hook for their bad deeds; it simply moves the vengeance from your heart and into God’s hands where it should have been in the first place. Also, forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you have to restore relations with them. God does not intend for you to live in a situation where you will be repeatedly hurt. It’s ok to forgive and still eliminate someone from your life.

5. Unplug from distraction

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

     Technology is great at distracting us from Jesus. I wonder what would happen if we all focused on Jesus before Facebook? Or if we spent as much time in prayer as we do watching TV? Technology is neither good nor bad, it is a tool, and it’s how we use it that determines whether it is good or bad in our lives.

     Plan some time every day to unplug from the world and look to Jesus.

6. Stand

Ephesians 6:13 (KJV) “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

     It’s easy to stand with God when everything is going how you planned, but what about when everything is crashing down around you? If you have taken the time to set your goals with God then don’t let the storms of life through you off course. Every season comes with challenges. Circumstances will change, but God never will. When things get rough, stand. When you feel like giving up, stand. When the world turns against you, stand. Stay the course, Stand.  The prize is worth it all.

"Man of Steel" not so Super

          I had the privilege of going to an advance screening of the new Superman movie “Man of Steel” this week. I have always liked the Superman comics and movies, although I slept through most of Superman II, so I had high hopes for this installment. There were many things to like about this rougher, edger version and some changes to the character that did not sit well with me and others at the screening. WARNING: there are some spoilers.

Let’s start with what was good;

First, I liked the way humans (non-superhuman) were portrayed in this version. Too often in “comic book” movies humans are portrayed as weak, helpless and fearful. In this movie the humans, particularly the soldiers will willing to fight to the death even knowing they had little or no chance against the obviously superior foes. Even non-military persons were willing to place themselves in harm’s way to help their friends.

Secondly, I liked the way they explored the mental aspect of a child growing up different than all of the other children. I think many kids feel this way at times and I think this makes Clark a little more relatable.

Purpose, lots of discussion about finding our purpose and following it. More people should strive this hard to fulfill their purpose.

Also, the production and graphics were great. It did drag a little during the middle but most of the time it moved at a good pace.

OK, What I didn’t like.

The wavering morals of Superman. This is a Superman who has no problem stealing clothing from a stranger because his were damaged in a fire. The original Superman was not a thief. Also, during the fight scenes it can be assumed that thousands of humans were killed in the resulting destruction of Metropolis, much by the hand of Superman. Apparently Kal-el has no problem with humans dyeing, as long as he doesn’t have to see them die (trying not to give away too much of the ending). Also, as Clark he starts to defend a waitress that is being sexually harassed, only to walk away when the confrontation gets physical. Leaving the woman with her idiot patrons. Clark then goes into the parking lot and destroys the assailant’s 18-wheeler. So I guess escorting a dirt bag out of a bar is crossing a line but destroying personal property for revenge is ok. This is also a Superman that lies, drinks beer, and cries (a lot).

Fatherly lessons. Clark learns from his earthly father that it is ok to let some people die so that others may live. He is further instructed that it is better to keep himself safe than it is to fight back against evil. Can we have one movie that doesn’t push liberalism down our throats?

Godlike. Several references in the movie of Superman being “god-like”.  They even made his age 33yrs when he started his earthly work as Superman (think Christ). In his defense Clark does not seem to view himself this way.

Fighting abilities. We learn from the movie that on Krypton people are genetically engineered and raised to perform a certain role in society. With that in mind General Zod was created and trained to be the ultimate warrior, yet gets man handled by the Jor-el who was raised and trained as a scientist. Further Kal-El who was raised to never defend himself or fight back suddenly becomes so proficient in his ability to fight that he is able to tangle with Zod AND all of his warrior minions who also have his super strength and speed.

No Jimmy Olsen.

Not sure how I feel about Superman killing someone. The original Superman always found a way to spare life but this Superman kills Zod by breaking his neck with his bare hands. It was portrayed in the movie as that he had no choice. The real Superman would have found away.

Unnecessary foul language.  Although there was not a lot of it, the cursing in the movie seemed out of place. It made otherwise intelligent, likable characters seem neither. It felt like the words were added not to enhance the movie but to surprise the audience.  It takes away from a movie when the director is forced to resort to this to keep the audience watching. The movie would have been better without it.

Overall not a bad movie but wish they hadn’t soiled a beloved character like Superman. Superman has always been the example that all other Superhero’s are compared to and the bar of what is best and right with America values. That bar just got lowered.

Roy and Amy Pauley appearing at The Crossroads!

Long-time song evangelists, Roy and Amy Pauley, will once again be with us at Crossroads Baptist Church  for a service of Southern Gospel and evangelistic-style music on Sunday, June 23, during the 11am Worship Service.

Roy is known nation-wide for his monthly column in The Singing News magazine, plus he has been a guest soloist with Bill Gaither’s Homecoming concerts on several occasions. He has also been featured on two of Gaither’s famous videos.

Don’t miss this Christ-centered service consisting of inspiring music, plus Roy will be giving a general alter call with special prayer for our spiritual and personal needs.

This is a full-time, self-supporting ministry sustained solely by the freewill offerings received at each of their services. Come expecting a great blessing and come prepared to bless Roy and Amy with a love gift to show your support.

Bring a friend and don’t miss this special service designed to point us to Christ!

Real Church...Real People...Real Simple...

This is not just a slogan, but the way of life here at Crossroads Baptist Church. Here you will find a church that this is truly a loving, filled with people just like yourself!

Crossroads is a Real Church

We were not born out of strife or disagreement; we were lovingly founded by Winter Haven Baptist Church. Crossroads is a church that is built on the Word of God not man. A place where you can learn and grow without all the man-made rules and complications.

Crossroads is full of Real People

At Crossroads you will find people just like yourself, Real. At Crossroads we're not about "having it all together" or acting like we do. We are simply growing together toward a God who really understands us and can put all the pieces of this often bizarre world into perspective. Come visit. There's a place for you.

 

Crossroads keeps it Real Simple

 Man has a way of making God, well, complicated. While we know that God is infinitely complex, the directions He gave us to live and grow by are Real Simple.

Step 1 - Join us this Sunday for Worship @ 11:00am.

Step 2 - Get involved with one of our Life Groups.

Step 3 - Come and pray with us during one of our POP (Power Of Prayer) Times.

Step 4 - Serve. Let us help you find your place in the family of Christ!

It just doesn't get any simpler than that!

 

 

 

Resistance is futile

Last night I was teaching a group of men incarcerated at the Osceola County Jail. As I was introducing myself one of the men spoke up and said that he was supposed to be going to Crossroads but instead wound up in jail. He said that shortly before he got himself in trouble he had received a hand written note from a lady in our congregation inviting him to church. He felt at that time that Crossroads is where he should be but he resisted and instead chose the path that led him to jail.

I wonder how often we resist the Holy Spirits leading and end up in a place much less than what God had planned for us? God wants to use you and do bigger things with you than you could ever imagine and He will, if you will let Him.

I also wonder how often we make an unforgettable difference in someone’s life without ever knowing. Whoever wrote that letter to that young man has changed him forever. At the very least he is knows someone cares and is recognizing the Holy Spirits guiding in his life.

Please pray for that young man that when he is released he will find his way to Crossroads where he can grow and become everything that God wants him to be! Our God is the God of second chances, for that young man and for you. Seek Him while there is still time.

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near”

What to do...What to do...

The last Sunday of October is Friend Day and I need a "stunt" to perform to help get folks motivated to invite their friends and make the day a little funner (is that a word?).

Some sugestions so far include;

Kissing a pig (some of you people worry me)
Eat a large bowl of vegatables (you know the stuff food eats)
Shave off my beard & mustache
Eat a two pound hamberger


What ideas do you have? I will do just about anything to be able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with just one more person. In the past I have had pies thrown at me sang a solo, and lived for 30hrs on the roof of the church.

I need your ideas soon so we can get everything together Friend Day is just around the corner!

Soul Surfer - FREE Tickets

Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

We will be going to see the movie Soul Surfer on Saturday April 9th (time and location to be announced) and you can go with us for FREE! How? Just bring a first time, unchurched, adult visitor to the Sunday, April 3rd, Morning Worship Service and you can go with us for FREE! But that’s not all! We’ll also pay for your friend to go with us as well!

See the trailer for Soul Surfer HERE

5 Lies The Jehovah Witnesses Will Tell You

The Cult of Jehovah Witness’s also know as The Watchtower is a religion created in the 1874 by Charles Taze Russell. The organization struggled until it was taken over by Joseph Rutherford in 1917. Since then it has steady grown to a multi-million dollar cult that preys on the poor and uneducated. In 1961 they wrote their own bible and came up with a book that was more in line with the bizarre ramblings of their founder. They are best known for their door-to-door recruitment and the false doctrine they spread. Listed are 5 of the more common lies a JW will tell you.

Lie #1- "Jehovah's Witnesses" (JW's) claim that Jehovah created Jesus as the Angel Michael.

In their book entitled Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life on page 62 they write,

“As we have previously learned in this book, Jesus had a prehuman existence. He is called God's "only-begotten Son" because Jehovah created him directly.”

Jesus is the creator not the created.

Colossians 1:16 & 17 tells us about Jesus the Creator it says: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

According to this verse “if” Jesus was created he must have created himself. That obviously did not happen.

See also John chapter 1

Lie #2 - Jesus is not God

In their attempt to minimize Jesus and exalt themselves they have reduced Jesus to a created Angel. They believe, in error, that Jesus is the Angel Michael. Since Belief in Jesus is essential to salvation Satan has created many “other” Jesus’. Paul warns of these other “Jesus’“ in 2 Corinthians: 11:4. Why the fake Jesus? When someone places their trust in a fake Jesus they have a false salvation.

Jesus is declared to be God throughout the scriptures.

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Further on in John chapter 1 it identifies this “Word” that is God as Jesus Christ.

NOTE: When the JW’s rewrote their bible they edited this verse to exclude the last verse.

Hebrews 1:8: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom”. Here God the Father is calling the Son, Jesus, “God”.


Lie #3 – The soul is not Immortal.

In an effort to remove the punishment for sin JW’s teach that when you die it is over, no life after death, no accountability, nothing more just death. The Bible clearly teaches that the believer and the non-believer have life after death.

John:3:15: “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John:10:28: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”.

Lie # 4 - Lost people do not go to Hell

Again in an effort to eliminate their own accountability for their sins the JW’s denies that people go to Hell.

This again is clearly refuted by the Bible in Luke 16 where we see Jesus giving a very vivid description of Hell and the torment that goes on there.

“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

Lie #5 – God is not a Trinity

Since they deny the Deity of Jesus Christ they also deny the Deity of the Holy Spirit, ignoring Bible verses that declare the plural nature of God such as:

1 John:5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Genesis 1: 26: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:”

Notice the words God chose to use to describe Himself here, Us & Our, shows that He exists in more than one form at the same time.

Conclusion - This is only a short list of the lies being told by this cult, some of the other concern their refusal to salute the American flag, believing that the soul can be lost through bleeding, that only 144,000 will go to Heaven, Birthdays are evil, ect.

Family Day 2010

Join us on Sunday June 28th @ 11am for our Family Day festivities! Following the service we will be having a cook out and everyone is invited! Bring you Family, Bring your friends, bring your friend's family and let's have a great time kicking off the Summer and celebrating God's gift of the family! We will be enjoying lots of food, a bounce house for the kids, cold watermelon and lots more! Come early seating is limited.

Encouraging Letter

Below is a letter I received today;

Dear Crossroads,

My name is Steven #####. I am the Assistant Lighting Director at Northland Church in
Longwood, FL. I wanted to contact you and tell you of one of the wonderful things a
member of your congregation has done.

Today my wife (Sara) and I went to a Pizza Hut in St. Cloud. After a nice meal, we went
to pay and found that a gentleman and a lady in the restaurant earlier had paid our debt.
These true disciples left us with note thanking us for honoring God with our prayers.
Sara and I were taken aback by the generosity and kindness that these fellow Christ
Followers had displayed. This note really struck at my heart reminding me that the Lord
hears our prayers. I wanted to let you know that your Church family has been a
encouragement to me and for that I am very grateful. My mind keeps coming back to this
scripture from Philippians 4:8-9.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from
me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

You have let God use you as an instrument in his Kingdom. I have really needed a good
reminder that God truly cares for us and that we should be sharing his love with others
and helping others grow deeper in their relationship with Him. Today is my birthday, and
this gift of generosity has given me the encouragement to focus more today on how I can
serve Gods kingdom and less on selfish desires.

If there is anyway that I, or the body of believers at Northland can be of service to
you, please do not hesitate to let me know.

,Steven

P.S. The Spiritual Journey flyers are a wonderful idea. Thanks for using unconventional
methods to spread the word of God.


Steven ######

Our website is getting a facelift!

Our website is getting a facelift! Check out the new calendar and forum areas. www.LifeAtTheCrossroads.com

The Puffers Are Coming!

The Second Annual Crossroads Gospel Concert Series kicks off January 8th with The Puffers!

Bob and Darleen Puffer’s music is varied and includes traditional Gospel, as well as Southern Gospel, country, folk and humorous songs (which are often requested). Their current hit “The Boat Cannot Sink” reached #1 on the international charts! In addition to being a talented song writer, Bob plays a multitude of instruments including guitar, five-string banjo, violin, mandolin, dobro, gretch (Chet Atkins) guitar, ukulele, and flute.

STARTS AT 7PM

See you here!

Upcoming acts in the Crossroads Gospel Concert Series include;

Julian & Bonnie – Jan 15th
Billy & Paula Speer – Jan 22nd
The Darrts – Jan 29th

Things I Learned Living on the Roof

Living on the roof of the church for 30hrs gives you lots of time to think and observe thing. So, I though I would share some of the things I learned with you.

1. There are a lot of roosters near the church and they start crowing well before sunrise.
2. Tents leak. Particular the old one I was using.
3. The steeple needs painting.
4. When you are setting up “house” on top of a church and the Sherriff’s Deputy asks if you are “OK”, he is talking about your mental state and not your overall comfort level.
5. Thermoses full of hot chocolate break when they fall off the roof, both times.
6. Fat guy on a roof in December, not that unusual. Fat guy on a roof in December without a sleigh and reindeer gets some looks.
7. When you are sleeping in a tent shorter than you it leads to cramps, lots of cramps.
8. You have two kinds of friends – those who will join you on the roof and those who won’t. Not sure which ones are the smarter ones.
9. Thunder sounds a lot closer when you are on the roof.

And, the final thing I learned while on the roof was…

10. I would do it all over again even if it meant only one more soul being saved.

Free Spaghetti Dinner

This Thursday, December 3rd, from 6pm to 8pm, or as long as the food lasts, we will be offering a free spaghetti dinner for those in need in our community. Come on over and enjoy a great meal and some wonderful fellowship. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend! We know how tough things can get financially during the Christmas season and we want to do what we can to make your Christmas a little easier. Location of meal is Crossroads Baptist Church, 3797 Edsel Ave, St. Cloud, FL 34772

Thank you, Pastor Jay McCaig

Did You Know...

Did you know that the Blog of Crossroads Baptist Church is one of the most listened to Baptist Blogs online? See what your missing and share with your friends; www.crossroadschurch.podbean.com/

Twas the month before Christmas

Twas the month before Christmas*
When all through our land,*
Not a Christian was praying*
Nor taking a stand.*
See the PC Police had taken away,*
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
Something was changing, something quite odd! *
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !*

Friend Day Sermon Online

Click HERE to listen to last Sunday's sermon.

Spiritual Triathlon - Part 6

Well, so now you are praying, reading your Bible, and meditating for 5 min each day, for a total of 15min of intensive time with God. Most importantly you are doing it all with faith in God!

Now, slowly start increasing the time of each “event”. When you increase the duration, strive to keep them balanced. Soon you will be spending 10min on each “event” for 30mins of powerful, concentrated time with God. When you are praying talk with God about how much He wants you to increase your times as ultimately this is between you and Him. Remember to keep a log of your times and look back on it periodically. I find it energizing to add up the time at the end of each month. For my log I have a simple three column Excel form that I put my times on. If you would like a copy of the spread sheet let me know and I would be happy to send you one.

I hope that you have found this time as refreshing and exciting as I have. I would love to hear how God is working in your lives through the Spiritual Triathlon. You can email me privately at Jay_McCaig@juno.com .Keep praying for me as I pray for you!

Thank you and God Bless You!

Spiritual Triathlon - Part 5

… If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Mathew 17:20

Today we are going to examine a component that must be present in each of our events for them to be effective. That component is faith. Without faith prayer is just words, without faith the Bible is just a book, without faith meditation is just daydreaming.

In Matthew 17 is the record of a child who is possessed by a demon, the disciples have tried to cast it out of the boy and failed. Jesus arrives and refers to the disciples, with a sorrowful voice, as “a faithless generation”. You see, the disciples had been trained by Jesus and had access to all of the power needed to accomplish the task – but they lacked faith. If you lack faith, your Spiritual Triathlon will be waste of time.

Jesus later tells the disciples “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting”. Both prayer and fasting are symptoms of faith. Faith expresses itself in communication. If we have little faith then we have little communication because we feel “what is the point?” Fasting is self-denial and surrender to the work of God If we want to do anything significant with God it is going to take spending some time with God and sacrificing some things for Him. Those who do not believe will not pray. They will think it is foolish to spend time with God. Those who do not pray will certainly not sacrifice.

How is your faith? Ask yourself this question “Do I believe God can do anything?” You may have quickly answered yes, but do you live your life like you believe? Are you worried about what tomorrow brings? Are you worried about how you are going to pay your bills? Do things of this world keep you awake at night? Whatever you fear or whatever worries you shows a weakness in your faith. Go to God right now and give it all to Him. Remind yourself everyday that God is God and He is still in control. He is all-powerful and can do anything. When you pray do it with the expectation that God will answer. When you read the Bible, do so with the knowledge that every jot and tittle is blessed, true, and written by the hand of God. When you meditate keep close to your mind that God is answering your prayers, visualizes what that will be like and prepare for his answer.

Pray for me as I pray for you.

Spiritual Triathlon - Part 4

My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. Psalm 119:48

Today we are going to look at the third “event” in our Spiritual Triathlon, Meditation. Since meditation is often associated with eastern religions, you may be wondering if meditation is an activity that Christians should participate. The answer is yes – it is Christian and it is biblical. Meditation is mentioned several times in the Bible; Isaac is recorded meditating in Genesis 24:36, Joshua is commanded by God to meditate in Joshua 1:8 and the Psalms are full of references to meditation.

Christian meditation is different from the eastern religion type of meditation. The goal of eastern meditation is to empty the mind and create a vacuum. Unfortunately, nature abhors a vacuum and your mind will quickly be filled with something worldly. Christian Meditation is the emptying of the mind and filling it with something from God.

For our Spiritual Triathlon we will be meditating immediately after our Prayer and Scripture Reading, so we will be meditating on the Scripture we just read. So how do you meditate? Well if you know how to worry then you know how to meditate. Worry is meditating on our problems (not productive), Christian Meditation is “worrying” on God’s Word (very productive). There are many ways to meditate on God’s Word, I have listed some of my favorites for you;

1. Memorizing Scripture is an excellent way to meditate on The Word.

2. Re-read and concentrate on those portions of scripture that caused you discomfort or confused you.

3. Imagine the story read and recreate it in your head. What did it look like to someone watching? What did it smell like? What did it sound like?

4. Play “If you were there” what was going on in the persons mind when he/she was involved in the events described? What did they see and feel?

Try meditating for 5 min after you prayer and Bible reading – you are now spending just 15 minutes of your day intensely focused on God, easy. Tomorrow we are going to talk about something that must be present in all three events in order for them to be the most effective. Keep praying for me as I pray for you.