How to Achieve Spiritual Markers.
Contributed by Bios Baptist Church
Scripture: Joshua 4 1-24
Tags: Reflection, Gods, plan
Denomination: Baptist
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Introduction
Spiritual memory is crucial in the Christian life. Do you vividly recall times when you know God
spoke to you? It would be tragic if, in your haste to advance in your Christian faith, you
neglected to leave spiritual markers at the key crossroads of your life. Without the help of these
markers, you will lose your spiritual bearings. {4 When the whole nation had finished crossing
the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from
each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right
where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place
where you stay tonight.”4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the
Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your
God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according
to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when
your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan
was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters
of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” 8
So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of
the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;
and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set
up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests
who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. 10 Now the
priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the
Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The
people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the
priests came to the other side while the people watched.12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the
half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had
directed them.13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the
plains of Jericho for war. 14 That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they
stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.15 Then the
Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up
out of the Jordan.”17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”18 And
the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had
they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and
ran at flood stage as before.19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the 
Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the
twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when
your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed
the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you
had crossed over. The Lordyour God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b]
when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of
the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear
the Lord} A spiritual marker identifies a time of decision when you clearly know that God
guided you. Can you remember the moment you became a child of God? Were there
specific times when He called you to His ways of living? Can you point to times when
He clearly guided you in a decision? Were there times when He spoke powerfully to you
about a commitment you should make? Keep track of these important moments!
Regularly rehearse them and notice the steady progression in the way God has led you.
This will help you understand God’s activity in your life and give you a sense of direction
as you face future decisions. Recognize
Turning points in your life Right now God
is working all around you and in your life. One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is
that, while they have a deep longing to experience God, they are experiencing God day after
day but do not know how to recognize Him. Watch to see where God is working and join Him.
God reveals what He is about to do. That revelation becomes an invitation to join Him which will
inevitably leave a spiritual marker. In the Christmas story that I mentioned in the introduction it
was hard for those Christmas characters to fully put all the pieces of the puzzle together, but
time has revealed Gods plan and purpose, He is always at work. What are you willing to do
Church? Make
major adjustments in your life “Be doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 This is what makes or
breaks a large majority of the Christians in our churches today. Will you make a major
adjustment in your life to join God in what He is doing? With all my heart and understanding I
believe God is doing something here at Ocean View Baptist Church, but for this to become a
reality there will be a major adjustment required to join God in what He is doing You come to
know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His works through you: What
are you going to do for God today? What are you going to do for God this week? The Bible says
“Follow me!” "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 Part of the result of a spiritual marker comes when we
realization to follow God we must deny self and we may not always like that. Our reasonable
service is to present our body as a living sacrifice. Could it be that we have become
comfortable? We need Rea. Christians! We don’t need fans; we need completely, committed
followers for Christ: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who
love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal
myself to each of them.” John 14:21
God invites you to become involved with Him in His work
All the way through the scripture, God takes the initiative when He comes to a person; He
always reveals Himself and His activity. The revelation is always an invitation for the individual
or the church to adjust their life to God. None of the people God encountered could remain the
same after the encounter, it left a spiritual marker. They had to make major adjustments in their 
lives in order to walk obediently with God. God is looking for parenting disciples. Are you
mature enough to teach others to be submitted to Jesus Christ? Sure it starts with baby steps,
but baby’s grow and learn to walk more gracefully and that is exactly what the disciple must do
keep growing, I understand the view is beautiful at the top. The Israelites wondered in the
wilderness for years because they didn’t understand what God really wanted. Understanding
what God is about to do where you are is more important than telling God what you want to do
for Him. Are you wandering in the wilderness or are you enjoying a real, personal love
relationship with Him. Don’t ever forget: “Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great
commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
Closing
To experience God you cannot avoid spiritual markers, it could be delivery your first baby,
graduating from school, starting your first job, getting married, losing a love one. These can all
be spiritual markers that can led to an experience with God Seven Realities of Experiencing
God