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The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Two)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

Meditation is a vital spiritual tool that God has provided to embed His principles, precepts, statutes, and laws into our long-term memory, transforming them into our first nature. Through continual meditation on God's law, as expressed in various synonyms such as precepts, statutes, and His word, we cultivate profound peace, tranquility, and contentment, as highlighted in Psalm 119. This reflective practice fosters peace and significantly enhances memory consolidation, safeguarding the integrity of our emerging spiritual body. Meditation serves as a powerful antidote to negative thinking, purifying our thoughts and enabling us to ingest, assimilate, and digest the bread of life, the word of God. It improves memory, focus, attention, and the ability to work under stress, while also aiding in information processing, decision-making, learning, and self-awareness. Additionally, meditation reduces stress, anxiety, and symptoms of mood disorders, preparing us to handle stressful events and enhancing psychological well-being. As a quiet, reflective time, meditation allows us to unhurriedly mull over what we have studied, letting insights drift into our unconscious mind for secure storage. It acts as a cooling-down exercise in the Christian life, akin to a marathon runner's discipline, preventing mental cramps and facilitating the transfer of thoughts from short-term to long-term memory, where character is nourished. This downtime, much like the Sabbath, rejuvenates us, enveloping us in profound peace as we affirm that great peace comes to those who love God's law, ensuring nothing shall offend or make them stumble.

The W's and H's of Meditation (Part One)

Sermon by David F. Maas

Meditation plays a vital role in shaping our character and spiritual health, as our thoughts nourish our emerging spiritual bodies just as food nourishes the physical body. The premise that you become what you think about all day long underscores the importance of mindful reflection. Failing to meditate, or to incorporate God-mindfulness, can contribute to damaged relationships and loss of spiritual identity. The purpose of exploring meditation is to understand why we must meditate, what to meditate upon, what to avoid, when and how to meditate, how often, where, and what methods are most productive, as well as why it is beneficial for spiritual well-being. A significant concern arises from the tendency to meditate on negative and harmful thoughts, with research indicating that up to 70% to 80% of our daily 50,000 thoughts are negative, potentially poisoning our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The Scriptures urge us to guard our hearts diligently, as what we mull over in our minds, whether good or bad, eventually bears fruit. Meditation, when properly focused, can cleanse and heal diseased thoughts, displacing negative patterns and revitalizing our spirits, guiding us back toward the Kingdom of God and our role in God's Family. The concept of meditation involves engaging in contemplation or reflection, focusing thoughts on a subject, or planning in the mind. In Hebrew, the word for meditation carries connotations of murmuring, musing, or chewing on thoughts, akin to a camel regurgitating food to extract nourishment. Similarly, meditation is likened to a ruminant chewing cud, digesting thoughts multiple times to cleanse impurities, much like digesting the Word of God for spiritual sustenance. Another metaphor compares meditation to steeping a tea bag in hot water, where immersing oneself in Scripture allows its essence to permeate and color our thinking about God and His ways. Through systematic daily meditation, we ingest and assimilate the precious Word of God, mirroring the character of Jesus Christ over a lifetime. This process is not hasty but incremental, ensuring that the more faithful we are, the more of God's mind we reflect.

The W's and H's of Meditation (Conclusion)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

Because we will ultimately turn into what we assimilate, we must take back the hijacked tool of meditation to drive out carnal thoughts.

Meditation: Preventing Spiritual Identity Theft

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

If we don't cultivate the ability to meditate on a regular basis, we run the very real risk of losing our spiritual identity and letting someone take our crown.

The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Three)

Sermon by David F. Maas

Developing the daily habit of meditation on God's Word can displace that deadly carnal nature, replacing it with Godly character—the mind of God.

The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Five)

Sermon by David F. Maas

If we stockpile God's Word into our nervous systems, even though our outer man is decaying while our inner self is being renewed, we will nurture our spiritual legacy.

Meditate on These Things

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We must avoid shallow thinking, developing spiritual depth by meditating upon God's creation, His truth, His Law and His standards of righteousness.

The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Four)

Sermon by David F. Maas

Meditating on the perils of our transitory existence paradoxically leads to a longer, happier life as our portion of God's Spirit grows within us.

As a Man Thinks

CGG Weekly by Clyde Finklea

'You are what you eat' is a common expression, yet Jesus teaches that actually we are what we think. Even so, we are not always what we think we are.

Beating the Rat Race (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We tend to think of being still just in terms of movement, but it also includes ceasing to talk as an excess of speech is both wearisome and stressful.

Simplifying Life (Part Seven): Practicing Spiritual Scales

Sermon by David F. Maas

Like musicians must practice scales, we must practice spiritual scales daily, consisting of prayer, Bible study, and meditation to reduce chaos and deepen faith.

Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Four): Cultivating Peace

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

Here are biblical strategies to cultivate the fruit of peace, including controlling our thoughts and emotions, submitting to God's will, and embracing His law.

Fire Igniter or Fire Extinguisher

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

Relationships in the church have been charred by loose lips and careless tongues described in James 3:2, setting on fire the course of nature by hell.

Think on This

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

Contrary to false concepts of meditation in Eastern religions, we are mandated to maintain control of their minds, using meditation as a teaching tool.

Facing Times of Stress: Always in God's Presence

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We can maintain spiritual contact using David's tactic of continually maintaining the Lord before him in his thoughts, prayers, and meditations.

Thankfulness

Sermonette by James Beaubelle

Robbing God extends far beyond the neglect of tithes and offerings, but also includes ignoring God and neglecting to thank Him for the plethora of blessings.

Faith to Carry Us to the Millennium

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Kim Myers

How do we get the faith we need to endure this present age? Living faith requires that we match hearing with productive works.

Stewardship of God's Temple (Part Seven)

Sermon by David F. Maas

The antidote to double-mindedness and distractions is single-minded focus on God's law through meditating God's word, thus guarding our hearts.

Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The imagination enables mankind to envision both beneficial and harmful purposes. Imagination is a gift from God that can be used positively or negatively.

Learning from Clichés

CGG Weekly

Through every medium, Satan spreads his values, hidden within the stories our televisions broadcast, our movies so spectacularly feature, and our songs rehearse.

Facing Times of Stress: Faithfulness

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Prayers often become difficult because we fail to add thanksgiving, praise or adoration toward God. Thankfulness is an obligation to which we are bound.

The Prayers of Jesus

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Christ's example teaches us to pray humbly in all situations, including decision making, resisting temptation, and acquiring spiritual strength.