Avsnitt
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716 I Urge That Prayers Be Made For All People and Leaders, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:1-4 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
1 Timothy 2
NABRE
1First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, 2 for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. 3 This is good and pleasing to God our savior, 4 who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
ESV
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.Meditation on Scripture:
In the earliest days of Christianity there were severe conflicts with those who professed God to be the King, and the Roman government who held their emperor to be not only the king but also a god. These Christians suffered for their beliefs and they ultimately hoped most for a system that would allow them to be left alone to worship God as they saw fit. They desired the freedom to live out a peaceful and quiet life. Many early Christians would tried to establish the difference that they would not pray to the emperor but they would pray to God on behalf of the emperor that he would make good decisions. Tertulian is often seen as one of the greatest early western theologians and the first Latin theologian. He said the following regarding the Roman leaders of the time:
We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection to the imperial house; for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest, whatever, as man or Cæsar, an emperor would wish. These things I cannot ask from any but the God from whom I know I shall obtain them,
How grateful we should be that we have exactly the kind of freedom that those early Christians longed for. They recognized that it was God alone that could grant peace. As the free nations of the world have the opportunity to participate in selecting their leaders, as early Christians did not, may we remember to pray to God for their success because true and lasting success can only come from God. God is the one in control of salvation and eternity. This scripture says God wants all people to be saved. Our greatest interest should be to share God’s goal of bringing the love of God to all, and to prioritize the things of God, even as we live in a fallen world. May God allow us to live, as it says in this scripture, a quiet life of peace.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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712 I Lift Up My Eyes to the Mountains, A Guided Christian Meditation on Psalm 121 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
John 10
NASB
I will raise my eyes to the mountains;
From where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.ESV
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.Meditation on Scripture:
I had someone write me such a dear message telling of her struggle with Cancer several years ago and how she listened to the podcast. That is the essence of the way the Lord cares for us. She requested this Psalm and it is a powerful message for us.
I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? In the difficult journey’s through the mountains we find ourselves asking this question. Even when we know the answer our eyes still search for the help we feel we must have in that moment. The fortunate news for us is that we seek this comfort from the Lord. The mighty Father of Heaven who has created the earth, the galaxy and everything beyond and within. His understanding is not limited or weakened by anything. In Him we trust for the direction of our path. The longer I live the more I realize the question of what support I get from the Lord is more a matter of me learning to see God’s purposes than it is to bend his will to mine. And yet we plead. But he will not allow our foot to slip on its forward motion. He is ready at all times to watch over us, to guide us to where He wants us to go.
This scripture has long been a favorite of those engaged in difficult journeys. It was a favorite of a well known Chrsitan missionary to Africa David livingstone. In reference to a question about the limits of where he would go to serve the Lord he stated. “Ill Go anywhere, as long as its forward.” I feel that this line embodies the spirit of this Psalm. It is perfectly fine and right for us to seek God in prayer to ask for what we feel we need. Once we do then, we trust that He will not let our foot slip regardless of how difficult the journey is.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod -
710 To Whom The Word Of God Came, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:34-39 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
John 10
NIV
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’[d]? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.NASB
34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law: ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be nullified), 36 are you saying of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may [h]know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to arrest Him, and He eluded their grasp.
Meditation on Scripture:Jesus Quotes Psalm 82 to show us that the true power comes from the will and decisions of God. True Goodness comes from God. The Messianic role fulfilled by Jesus came through the power of God. There is a great irony of having Jesus accused of Blasphemy. This scripture is deep and has many lessons but, at this moment I’d like to reflect on this.. Has the word of God come to you? Jesus is the word, spoken of in John 1 that was with God and was God. Awareness about Jesus is the heart of this. Do we understand that the true word referred to here is embodied in Jesus who was sent to the world to make us holy. Without Jesus and the works he came to do, none of the other struggles of life has any eternal meaning. As we put our trust in Jesus we are swallowed up in the power of God over the whole world and every possible dimension and eternal consequence.
In this moment if you haven't done so already, choose to follow Jesus and learn of Him for the rest of your life. If you have already chosen this, then grab hold of that memory and decision and embrace it in your mind and heart. Let us recommit to that. To continually bring our minds and hearts back to that decision. Embrace the things God says in scripture as eternally important and allow that word to take hold in your heart by reflecting on it, reading it, meditating on it, as we are here. Overall we should seek to feast on it.
God cannot blaspheme. It is certainly not blasphemy for God to describe something about Godhood that we dont understand. Had the Jews realized that Jesus was God it would have been ridiculous to call out Jesus for Blasphemy. As we embrace Jesus as the Savior of the world we also embrace His sovereignty about the truth. God can guide you in your life and learning how to receive that is one of the greatest lessons of life.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod -
John 10
NABRE
31 The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” -
NIV
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” -
NKJV
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.
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702 Again There Was Division Because of Jesus’ Words, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:17-21 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
John 10
NABRE
17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He is possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one possessed; surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”ESV
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”Meditation on Scripture:
Jesus is in absolute unity with the will of the Father. He did the right thing all the time. Yet that did not stop the people from accusing him of having a demon possess him. What a strange world we live in, were the very sinless Son of God was so profoundly misunderstood by people who heard him speak. Those who were right next to him. They heard the words and many of them saw amazing deeds done and yet they wondered. They didnt understand. Human understanding is a gift from God but it is also incredibly limited when compared to the understanding of the infinite. I have had a chance to study some amazingly complex and beautiful things. I studied Math in college. There are some very deep and abstract ideas that humans are able to understand. I had many professors who became subject matter experts on exactly what they studied. In fact math goes so deep that there were often few people in the whole world that were as familiar with their sliver of understanding as they were. And this is only what we know right now. When compared with the kind of understanding God possess, the depth of understanding is pitiful.
There are people you know who you don't understand. WE don't understand the depth of the people we know. Equally, there are people who don't understand you and what your needs and wants are. IN some ways we are surprised by this when it happens. When people we know misunderstand us so profoundly we feel wronged in some way and yet this is a reflection of the same weakness of understanding that we ourselves hold. If Jesus was accused of having a demon possess him how likely is it that you will understand everyone you encounter? Or how likely is it that everyone will understand you. I think this is one of the reasons why God asks us to be forgiving and to try and not judge others. We don't have enough insight to judge others fairly. With that siad there are times when we can have insight that maybe just maybe helpful to them and they may have insight for us as well but it is Jesus who holds the judgement role because he has all the facts and knows the depths of every human heart.
As you ponder relationships in life that are a bit upside down reflect on the limits of human understanding and reach out to the infinite understanding of God to bridge the gap. Embrace God’s love in your heart and let go of the judgement of others, both toward them and from them. Trust yourself to a God who was willing to be so profoundly misunderstood himself and may that comfort your human misunderstandings.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod -
NABRE
17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He is possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one possessed; surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”
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702 Again There Was Division Because of Jesus’ Words, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:17-21 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
John 10
NABRE
17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He is possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one possessed; surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”ESV
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”Meditation on Scripture:
Jesus is in absolute unity with the will of the Father. He did the right thing all the time. Yet that did not stop the people from accusing him of having a demon possess him. What a strange world we live in, were the very sinless Son of God was so profoundly misunderstood by people who heard him speak. Those who were right next to him. They heard the words and many of them saw amazing deeds done and yet they wondered. They didnt understand. Human understanding is a gift from God but it is also incredibly limited when compared to the understanding of the infinite. I have had a chance to study some amazingly complex and beautiful things. I studied Math in college. There are some very deep and abstract ideas that humans are able to understand. I had many professors who became subject matter experts on exactly what they studied. In fact math goes so deep that there were often few people in the whole world that were as familiar with their sliver of understanding as they were. And this is only what we know right now. When compared with the kind of understanding God possess, the depth of understanding is pitiful.
There are people you know who you don't understand. WE don't understand the depth of the people we know. Equally, there are people who don't understand you and what your needs and wants are. IN some ways we are surprised by this when it happens. When people we know misunderstand us so profoundly we feel wronged in some way and yet this is a reflection of the same weakness of understanding that we ourselves hold. If Jesus was accused of having a demon possess him how likely is it that you will understand everyone you encounter? Or how likely is it that everyone will understand you. I think this is one of the reasons why God asks us to be forgiving and to try and not judge others. We don't have enough insight to judge others fairly. With that siad there are times when we can have insight that maybe just maybe helpful to them and they may have insight for us as well but it is Jesus who holds the judgement role because he has all the facts and knows the depths of every human heart.
As you ponder relationships in life that are a bit upside down reflect on the limits of human understanding and reach out to the infinite understanding of God to bridge the gap. Embrace God’s love in your heart and let go of the judgement of others, both toward them and from them. Trust yourself to a God who was willing to be so profoundly misunderstood himself and may that comfort your human misunderstandings.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod -
ESV
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. -
Edit: The initial audio didnt get fully processed and was much quieter than normal. This should resolve that but will require you to redownload the episode if you dowloaded it the first night.
700 There Shall Be One Fold and One Shepherd, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:14-16 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
John 10
NRSVCE
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.ESV
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.Meditation on Scripture:
I grew up in the desert. It was hot and dry. As an adventurer prone young man I spent a lot of time in the desert, hiking and doing other outside activities. From time to time we would encounter barb wire fences as well we would see cows out in the desert that would feed on the desert bushes and the very little dry grass. They usually were alone or with a very small number of other cows. I often remember wondering were those cows were from. Were they part of a herd? The conditions in the desert did not support dense cattle but they were part of a herd. They were just very spread out.
As I read this scripture I thought of a large spread out flock split up across miles and miles of rough ground with some grass here and there. Jesus pronounced that we are called to the his flock. I sometimes wonder if there was a herd of sleep large enough would all the sheep understand that they are in the same flock? The sheep are not who determine who is part of the flock. That is the shepherd. We are spread across better and more challenging terrain and we are separated in ways that seem very meaningful to us. Yet God is the one that calls us.
During this time of the year there are family gatherings and different social demands, or the longing for greatly missed social connections attempt to draw us away from His peace, ponder this, we are called to the same flock. As we set arbitrary distinctions between each other we ultimately are not the ones at the final judgement that determines who is part of the flock. That is God’s role. I invite you to reach into the love that God has for you and share that with others. What greater thing is there to be grateful for than the knowledge that we can be unified with God due to His grace.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod -
698 I Have Come That They Might Have Life More Abundantly, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:10-13 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.Scripture for Meditation
John 10
NIV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.KJV
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.Meditation on Scripture:
In the previous verses Jesus called himself the sheep gate. shortly after he calls himself the good shepherd. These back to back references highlight something interesting. They demonstrate God’s ability to keep us spiritually safe as well as his desire to be with us as we grow.
The gate of the sheep is where those sheep come in and out. The threatening world is held back by the safety of the wall and the gate is what allows the sheep to find that safety but also to go out to be fed and experience the growth the sheep need.The shepherd, on the other hand, goes with the sheep. He watches over them and chases away predators. The shepherd would face risk for the sheep. He would guide them to good food and water. He would help them if they got stuck and lead them back if they got lost. Jesus declares himself The Good Shepherd defends the sheep. A normal shepherd may risk his life for the sheep Jesus as the Good Shepherd would guarantee his own death and yet that is not the end of the metaphor. Jesus, as The Good Shepherd, stays with us as we feed. He goes to where we need to go to grow, then as the gate Jesus allows us to go in and come out from protection. As the good shepherd he is with us as we face the peril of the world. Jesus is both our path to safety as well as growth. He came not just to give us life, but to give it more abundantly. Fortunately and unfortunately that doesn't look like the life we would make for ourselves many times. Trust in God to not only give you life, but to give it more abundantly.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?
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NIV
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. - Visa fler
