Christian Meditation Podcast

820 And An Angel of the Lord Appeared to Them, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:7-9 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 Luke 2 NIV 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. NASB 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night.9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. Reflection on Scripture: God does not need your validation. He doesn't need human clout. The Son of God was laid in a food box for animals instead of a bassinet or crib. Jesus did not use his influence to avoid personal hardship. God doesn't need human legitimacy. He didn't send his son to a golden throne but was born during a tax audit during a time of subjugation of Gods people. Then instead of sending word to the kings and emperors of the world he shared the news with humble shepherds. He didn't need the approval of nations and people. He had angels to declare the glorious message. I don't think we recognize this in our lives. God doesn't need the approval of the world. He doesn't need to convince the world. He rules the heavens and has power to crush or burn the earth. He chooses to allow us to know about plans. He uses whatever means he chooses. The same applies to your life. He doesn't need our validation. He doesn't need your effort but rather we should glorify God because he is worthy of it. 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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

NASB 4 Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was rbetrothed to him, and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

818 He Belonged to the House And Line of David, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 Luke 2 NASB 4 Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was rbetrothed to him, and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. NIV 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, Reflection on Scripture: As we mentioned last week, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This fulfills the prophecy in Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." As we read in Micah The one who will rule over Israel will come from Bethlehem. This is the city in which David was born. David was anointed to become the King and as a child fought Goliath. God chose his leader in David. Jesus came to Bethlehem in order to have a mirroring of the role of King of Israel, just as its most famous king. Jesus was to be the eternal King of Israel. He is the prophesied Messiah. The chosen one who would come to rule We recognize that Jesus is the savior of the world. Who took upon him our Sin, yet also he is the eternal King. He is the King of Kings. Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. As we honor God, let us never forget that Jesus is our King, our true ruler in heaven and for all eternity. For this reason we celebrate His birth. We celebrate the coming of the King. He is the fulfilment of prophecy. He was destined to do what he did, from the very beginning. You can trust a God who designed the universe and then after he was Done with that, created us, and also created a plan. God is way ahead of you. What is happening in your life is not a surprise to Him and it will not derail your path of sanctification if you turn to Him. 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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

KJV 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

816 There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 Luke 2 KJV 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. NIV 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. Reflection on Scripture: With the coming of Christmas in several weeks I wanted to focus on the Birth of Christ. Luke 1 focuses on the foretelling of the birth of Jesus and the different testimonies of his divinity. Luke 2 here starts at an interesting spot. It begins with the Romans. This provides a very interesting question. Why did the Romans form the basis for the birthplace of Jesus? It seems that Jesus could have chosen to be born anywhere. He could have made it a deeply theological one as to where he was born, yet her the justification of why Jesus was born in Bethlehem came down to the decisions of Romans, who were gentiles, and were considered enemies to the people of God. Interesting that God chose to fulfill prophecy this way. Just as interesting, why didn't He prophecy something else as to the birthplace? God can fulfill his purposes any way he chooses. We can look to. Just as in times of old, he can chose any means he wants to fulfil his word. Many times in our lives we become convinced that God will only answer things in a certain way, or that good things can only come from good things. Yet God uses the oppression of his people and the respective census to begin the story. God can use bad things in our lives to drive positive change. The real distinction for what makes something good or bad, has more to do with how it causes us to draw near to God. God may have a calling for you, wrapped up in a bad package. The thing that makes it from God is that it draws you to God's light and truth. Ponder now for a moment the different challenges you face? Might those be opportunities for your story to transition. Might they be the beginning of a story God is forming in your life. The struggle is that you will not know that until it is far too late to act. We must first seek the Kingdom of God. Pursue God and understanding will come later. 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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation...

814 They Attempted Again To Seize Him, But He Escaped Their Clutches, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:39-42 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 NET 39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there. RSV 39 Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him; and they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there. Reflection on Scripture: Imagine the ridiculous idea. A group of religious policemen go try and arrest the creator of everything on the earth they walked. When I read this I am overwhelmed by the irony of it all. Jesus on many occasions escaped capture. He would not go until his time came. Even when he was finally captured he did so knowingly. He even told Judas to betray him quickly. For us to assume that we can dictate God’s plans is such a spiritually immature and damaging mindset. Yet we are not above this mindset. We like to think we control our world. We like to feel empowered. In some ways this is something God has created within us. Our Godly drive to improve the world around us is good. If we are not careful we can get captured by the idea that we can bend God to our will. Equally unhelpful is that God wants to help us to do whatever we want. God wants our development and perfection and only he knows what it is. With that said I do believe God wants us to learn to pursue good autonomously. Also I think he wants to empower us to engage with Him regarding our plans. I think this is drastically different than us being a law unto ourself and pursuing our own selfish desires and claiming it is what God wants. I believe that God wants us to reach out to him and plead for discernment regarding our lives. The goal should always be for us to seek God’s will not to bend God’s will to our own. I want you to ponder 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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

KJV 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

812 Is It Not Written In Your Law ‘I Have Said You Are Gods’?, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:34-38 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 NIV 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 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.” KJV 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Reflection on Scripture: In some ways this feels like a challenge to our understanding. It seems wrong that Jesus said this. In defense of the accusations of blasphemy Jesus said the scriptures said ye are gods. I have seen a lot of commentary about this point and I don't mean to dig into deep meaning but Jesus’ words are always important. Let’s not miss an incredibly important idea. We are not holy. The natural human condition is not holy. To say humans are gods would be wrong and miss the point. What is it that makes men and women holy? It is the holy name of Jesus Christ. Just as there are no saintly people, the thing that makes someone a saint is the name of Jesus Christ. If we have taken upon us the name of Jesus then we can become holy. Roman’s says we are children, and as a result are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Our suffering does not make us holy. Our struggles in life do not clean us from sin and spiritually transform us. But through the suffering of Jesus does transform us. The suffering Jesus experienced on the cross is what makes us holy. That is what makes us join heirs. We should trust in Jesus who has promised us all the Father has. We don't need to fear the accusations the people laid on Him. He said He is the Son of God. We can trust that. Jesus did not claim any authority that He did not deserve. You can believe the works He did. The healings of lepers, and healing the blind were attested to by so many witnesses. The greatest work of all was His atoning sacrifice. Trust that work. Trust that Jesus is allowed to offer you what He has offered which is salvation, forgiveness, healing, and eventually completion. Through His works you become holy. 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...

ESV 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

810 For Which Of Those Works Do You Stone Me, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:31-33 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 ESV 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 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.” Reflection on Scripture: Just previous to this, as we covered last week, Jesus had just claimed to be one with the Father. According to the law of Moses this was a clear example of Blasphemy which would be punished with stoning to death. The Jews then picked up rocks to throw at him to kill him. What an intense moment full of aggression. Instead of Jesus clarifying the faulty accusation of these people answered indirectly. He did not correct them that it was not actually blasphemy if He is one with the Father. He responds about His works. He declared the good works he did and redirected the punishment of blasphemy as though his works would offset blasphemy. He then corrected that it wasn't the works for which they wanted to kill him but because he made himself God. The Irony is that Jesus was the only person who could equate Himself with God. Jesus standing before them was God. So in a direct sense it was not blasphemy. Jesus was making a statement about the intent of His works. They were meant to be a sign that He was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. They said something wrong. You are a man and are making yourself God. If It is blasphemy for someone who is not God to call themselves God it seems like an equally great sin for the people to tell Jesus he was not God, when He was. Some sort of reverse blasphemy. The takeaway for us is that Jesus is who He claimed to be. He showed His power through His works that were witnessed by so many people and he chose to show those miracles and also to use those works as a demonstration that He was. Jesus didn't need the people to believe Him but He wanted to give them enough of a demonstration to be a testimony and witness. Jesus is our saviour and He has the power to save. Everything that he said was true and came true. Most important of all is that He is one with the Father and also something super crucial for us is the Jesus loves us enough to prepare a plan to save us and offer that salvation to us. Embrace the love of Jesus and submit and trust your eternal future 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...

KJV 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.

808 No One Is Able To Snatch Them Out Of The Father’s Hand, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:26-30 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 NASB 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” KJV 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. Reflection on Scripture: Many things came to mind reading this passage. It has so much meaning. It deals with questions that have been questioned in Christianity for a huge amount of time. Its also a bit nerve wrecking. If we are not God’s sheep it seems there is no hope for us. With that said what is the distinguishing factor on wether we are His sheep? That we hear His voice and follow Him. Yet with that said it seems to miss an incredibly important element of Grace if we feel that we save ourselves through our choice of following God. That feels off. The only reason we are even able to be considered His sheep is because the Father gave the Son us as sheep. When I sat pondering what devotional message we could pull out of this, perhaps the best thing that we could focus on is gratitude. What profound gratitude we should feel to the loving God we have who offers redemption. I am so very grateful for that! When you ponder the offer that He gives it should fill you with gratitude. He offers eternal salvation and forgiveness from a profound grace in the face of our moral failure. Whatever fear you feel for not being considered one of God’s speed, you should feel equally encouraged by the profound Love that God offers. In that gratitude embrace faith in Jesus. Not a faith that he arbitrarily goes around saving people, but a faith that what He says will happen. That faith is us hearing His voice. Nobody will be able to pluck you out of His hand. There is no secret angry Father God behind the scenes who wants to destroy you but Jesus makes that God reluctantly forgive you. There is one perspective of God, one where you are loved and he wants you to live forever in heaven. Reject fear and move toward a kind of faith that aligns with believing in Jesus but also believing him enough do follow what He says. 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...

RSV 22 It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? 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 to me;

NET 19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?”

804 A Demon Cannon Cause The Blind to See, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:19-21 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 NET 19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?” NASB 19 Dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of those who are blind, can it?” Reflection on Scripture: When Jesus made audacious claims about his role and about his power, he was accused of being possessed by a demon. This was meant to be an accusation that would make his comments illegitimate. This was an attack on his divinity by accusing him of being part of the opposition. This was among the most extreme inaccuracies in the history of inaccuracies, to accuse God of being possessed by the Devil. This is not just a claim that was meant to be over the top, it was meant to discredit the true works of Jesus Christ. The logical and principled teachings of Jesus were compared to the confused evil theological ramblings of a demon. Another thing that makes this so impactful is because evil does exist. Each of us must grapple with forces of evil acting in the world. We encounter ideas inspired by evil in public discourse and societal perspectives. It would be unsafe to assume that evil is metaphoric or that the devil doesn't really exist. It is oft repeated that the Devil tries to convince us he does not exist. But he does exist. Just as God inspires our minds with the still small voice of His spirit of peace, the enemy will whisper words of destruction, self hatred, temptation to sin and many other evil whisperings. The chatter of your mind that discourages you does not come from God. With that said it is not necessary we live in fear of that. It is a reality of the world that Satan has existed the whole time, even in moments when we feel the peace of God the devil has existed. When we feel the joys of love of family, or the joy in Grace, the feeling of victory in the Lord, the devil existed then too. When Jesus healed and performed miracles, the devil existed then too. We cannot turn down the level of the darkness, but we can look to the light and the darkness will vanish. The whisperings of the evil one are always a lie, just as they were in this scripture. Jesus is the source of true light and will always win in the long run. If we turn to the light, the darkness must flee and eventually be destroyed. 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...

KJV 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

802 There Will Be One Fold, and One Shepherd, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:16-18 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 KJV 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. ESV 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. 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.” Reflection on Scripture: In a world filled with so much conflict and warring theologies, philosophies and ideologies, it is crucial to remember that Jesus declared there is one fold of God. There is only one Shepherd. He gathers His sheep. If there is any message that is needed by the world it is the words of Jesus. The world becomes more challenging as more people abandon what Jesus said, and turn their trust to other things to form their personal ethics. In the absence of the word of God as the direction humans are left to cling to whatever floating driftwood of values they find in society. Many people grasp to ideas they hear and allow those ideas to form how they see themselves. Earthly ideologies replace heavenly theologies. The truth is though that there is one Shepherd that decides what your identity is. The perspective of the world does not change that. The philosophies of the world cannot provide a better foundation for how people should exist with each other than to know we are all the same sheep. We are all lost without our Shepherd. That Shepherd is master of life and death. Jesus descended from Heaven to gather his flock. He taught powerful truths about how to live and what He expects of us. He taught us how to trust and how to seek God’s spirit. He chose to lay down His own life in the great culmination of His earthly ministry. He gave His life. He laid it down. Nobody could take it from Him. God allowed for the people to crucify Him. God allows for people to make evil choices but never stops calling for people to leave their sin. He sent his Apostles into all the world to preach the gospel because there are other sheep yet we are all to be part of one flock and all this was God’s plan from the beginning. You are meant to be united with all God’s children. Our highest priority should be to live the way Jesus would have us live, even when we exist in the world. Do not allow the sin of the world to discourage you. God will be victorious. God’s purposes will be worked even through the incorrect choices we all make on earth. Trust in the Lord and he will lead you to His heart. 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...

800 I Know My Own, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:13-15 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense 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 NIV 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. NET 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. 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. NASB 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and 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. Reflection on Scripture: God knows you. God knows you as God the father knows the Son. Although you struggle to understand yourself, your God perfectly knows you. Do you know Him? What are signs in your life that you know Him? When you know someone it is often because you spend a lot of time with them. You spend time thinking about them. You spend time sharing interests. You spend time thinking about what they think about. You spend time wondering what they like and prefer. When I first started dating my wife I became very interested in the things that she found interesting. Her personality became a puzzle I tried to unlock. I would spend time just looking at her and wondering what she was thinking. Do we do the same with God? Do we love God as much as we love someone we begin to date? After two decades of being happily married to my wife she is so much more known to me now, and yet, she still says things that surprise and delight me. We are often thinking similar things and we know each other’s likes and dislikes. We finish each other's sentences and we often start singing the same song at the same time, in the same key. Yet with all that said, there is no way our limited human understanding can predict everything. In some ways we will always remain a mystery to each other. But we are not a mystery to the Lord. You are perfectly known by at least one being in the universe. And with all of God’s knowledge and wisdom, with all his perfect awareness of your weakness and sin, He in wisdom, chose to love you. He chose to be your shepherd. God does not make errors. His decision to love you is not an error. His decision to help you is not an error. He does not run when times get tough. When you encounter struggles God is not fearful and does not run away. He remains by your side and as long as you are willing to look to Him, you will find Him because He is your shepherd. I invite you to ponder on the Character of a God who has created such a complex earth, has set down irrefutable law, and yet has chosen to love you. Ponder on God now. Think of Him and get to know him. 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...