Christian Meditation Podcast

220 Lord Have Mercy on Us, Son of David A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 20:29-34 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Matthew 20 NRSV 29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Lord,[h] have mercy on us, Son of David!" 31 The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!" 32 Jesus stood still and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" 33 They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him. ESV 29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord,[e] have mercy on us, Son of David!" 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" 33 They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. Meditation on Scripture: This will come out on Palm Sunday. The day in which our Lord was celebrated a few short days before his crucifixion. It must have been a confusing and polarized time. Some people were throwing down their clothes for him and some demanding he be killed. This scripture is found immediately before Jesus's entrance into Jerusalem. I am not sure if it occurred exactly like this Chronologically but I think it is important in the narrative. I think it is appropriate to speak of God with respect, deference, and reverence. Yet it sounded like these men abandoned all civility as they shouted to Jesus to be heard. Sometimes we are bothered by the normal sounds of children as we try and focus on important things. On bad days we may be so distracted trying to be good that we miss serving others who are less polished in their petitions. I think there is more personal way of looking at this; perhaps we are the ones that are the blind. Perhaps we are the ones that desperately need to shout a little louder as we approach God. Perhaps we need to abandon our normal docile and overly formal ways of trying to relate with God and bare our souls as we shout out our plea. Not to force him hear us, but to let us know how much we need Him. Like in this story, I believe that Jesus will have compassion on us in our requests. Perhaps the most difficult times of suffering and difficulty best help to brake away the stale and safe ways we have come to compartmentalize the parts of us that believe from the are ambivalent and sinful. Perhaps we need to smash these fake boundaries in our mind, until we are one unified heart shouting out to God in desperation. May any barriers between our hearts and God be broken down by feverish zeal as we proclaim our need of Him. In this we gain spiritual integrity. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What boundaries keep you from spiritual integrity? Final Thought: I invite you in your prayers to be like these blind men. God does not fear your desire for him. I don't even think he fears our frustrations or passion. As we become honest and genuine with God He can help us soften our hearts with more reality. Things like this can help us realize that scripture is not the words of old dead guys but the guide to helping us build our faith in God. I know when I am more honest with God, I feel more understood. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Chri

Bible verses for Meditation: Isaiah 58:6-8 NIV "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a] will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

218 Join With Me In Fasting For The Our World A Guided Christian Meditation on Isaiah 58:6-8 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Isaiah 58:6-8 NIV "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a] will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. NABRE Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke? 7 Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Meditation on Scripture: This scripture points out our role in the world when there is suffering. As we experience the fear and worry associated with a world in panic, we can realize that we may be able to serve in unique ways. We have more options than to choose between ignorance and debilitating fear. If you are searching for something that you could do to help this world, I have an idea. Each of us who are healthy enough to fast can conduct a special fast for the healing of our world. As we do we can be prayerful of the medical providers who need guidance, sustainment, and rest. We can be prayerful for those who are afflicted and suffering physically from disease. And we can pray that the financial consequences of this disease don't cause additional suffering. Fasting does not twist God's arm into listening to us, but it can help us by helping us focus on God and those in need. While fasting we can learn to put down our immediate needs by confronting one of our most consistent urges. As we connect with the discomfort of fasting we become aware of the realities of those who are in want and our hearts can grow to find additional ways to serve. Eventually this particular bizzare and tragic situation will end and we will see the light of the dawn we as a world will be healed. Never forget that God's light penetrates the darkness. There is nothing that happens now that will not be shown in the full understanding of God's light. The effects will be felt as we move on with life, as it always is with tragedy but hopefully we can do it while keeping the desire for service to our fellow human beings. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What does the practice of the fast teach you about God? Final Thought: I invite you to Join me in fasting today, of course exercising good judgement if you are healthy enough to fast. But if you are this may give us something we can do. When I fast, I normally do a dry fast for a day. It is a physical challenge some days but it reminds us of our need before God. As we intensify our prayer during a fast it is a way to focus our intent and try our resolve. It is also a way that we can serve tangibly. If you forgo eating then you ideally have a surplus of food that translates into money. Perhaps find a worthy charitable cause and donate to that cause as a result of the fast. I would recommend looking at charities that need help during this time and giving to one of them. Although our leaders tell us to stay physically distant that doesn't mean there isn't anything we can do to help. Let us help God

217 A Free Form Christian Meditation on James 4:7-10 James 4 NIV 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. KJV 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

216 Draw Near Unto God and He Will Draw Near Unto You A Guided Christian Meditation on James 4:7-10 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: James 4 NIV 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. KJV 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Meditation on Scripture: Some of my Chaplain friends have been sharing this scripture almost as a joke but then I realized how profound it is. In some ways I am hesitant to share this message but I feel profoundly that this is what we all need right now. For everyone who has access to my voice right now, also has access to communicate with hundreds of people across the globe on the internet. Despite that, the efforts we make for health reasons may leave people feeling more isolated and lonely. This scripture points to an even greater need. As we are feeling the effects of social separation, we can remember that God invites us to draw as close as we want to him. He sets the conditions for what that will look like. It requires us to humble ourselves much of the time. Even as we believe that we are doing pretty good we can receive even greater love from God by submitting ourselves to Him. Peace comes from humbling ourselves before God. When we feel out of control. When we feel like there is nothing we can do, we can draw near unto him. When health officials ask us to wash our hands, God asks us to purify our actions and our hearts. What an encouraging thought that God invites us to draw near to him and provides a way to do that. I am not saying that somehow we need to believe that our actions make us pure, God makes us pure. God is teaching us how to draw near to him. We draw near to him as we learn that the things that we think are most important are not. As we are kind to others and speak with genuine hearts and help those that mourn, we take on the heart of God. Earlier in this scripture it basically says God is extremely interested, even jealous, to see the spirit in us that He put there. Each time we wash our hands may we also remember to wash our hearts. What a symbol of love this is. I fervently hope that this message brings joy to you as you realize the way to be exalted is to submit to God. I believe that this scripture is not meant to depress us but to lift us out of the trap of the carnal mind that each and every one of us are constantly wrestling with. As you reflect on this message I hope above all that this stirs in your heart a glimmer of the immense love that God has for you in wanting to lift us to a higher plane where His love will take us. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How can you humble yourself before God, purify your heart today and draw near to God? Final Thought: God loves you so much. Even in the midst of tough times. I live in California and things are being locked down over here, and yet the heavens remain open. As we find ourselves bored we can find so many positive things to do if we spend the time to look. I have found myself to be more easily frustrated than normal. I have felt a need to course correct. A lot of people I have been talking to have been feeling this same mix of calm and chaos. This is a perfect envi

Bible verses for Meditation: Matthew 10 ESV 16 "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

214 Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 10:16-18 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Matthew 10 ESV 16 "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. NABRE 16 "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. 17 But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. Meditation on Scripture: Jesus foretold that the would would experience tribulation. This included both persecution of Christians but also physical hardships. In light of the worldwide panic that is occuring right now due to COVID-19 I think this scripture brings insight into this situation. Many people struggle between the two extremes of complacency and terror. In this scripture, Jesus suggests another option. Be wise and thoughtful while also being open to the peace that comes from staying faithful to God. God does not desire us to be fearful. Later in this same chapter Jesus says not to fear people who can only destroy your body because God is in control of our immortal souls. The interesting analogy is that the serpent is used as a metaphor for the enemy because of its cunning, the Dove is a metaphor for the spirit of God. Here Jesus says it is good to be wise as long as we yield to the Spirit of God. We can be thoughtful and cautious while not being fearful. This can be helped by being mindful of where you get your information. There are many people who profit from making people fearful. God is not in that camp. It says in 2 Tim 1:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and love, and a sound mind. We should not embrace a spirit of panic. In fact we can actively choose the peaceful way while taking appropriate precautions. Take a breath right now and let go of any remaining fear that is in your heart. Open yourself to the peace of God. When you go throughout your week and you notice fear rising inside of you, remember this moment and remember to allow the spirit of the dove to guide your thoughts and actions. When you feel emotional fatigue of taking wise action, remember to accept wisdom. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How do you respond when feelings of fear well up inside of you? Final Thought: There will be many opportunities in the coming days and weeks for exercising this mindset. As you encounter sensationalized news reports remember to trust the spirit of God as a dove. When you are tempted to with apathy about medical wisdom, embrace screwedness and take appropriate action. As others place their entire focus on a microscopic organism, place your focus on the God of the universe. Our fallen world has disease which will affect many good people. Trust that God has our eternal good in mind and He will always care for that as we remain faithful in Him as the source of our salvation. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Luke 12:13-15 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Meditation on Scripture: FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

212 Life Does Not Consist in The Abundance of Possessions A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 12:13-15 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Luke 12 KJV 13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. NRSV 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Meditation on Scripture: This scripture is interesting in many ways. Jesus asks who made him a judge, yet in the book of John he clearly states that the Father gave all judgement to the son. Also his focus and context was not on justice. There are times constantly when I parent that I have to decide which of the two children to correct first when they are in a disagreement. There is a value when the law protects the weak and powerless but there is also a need to help correct proud hearts. There are times when Jesus speaks to this. What he seems to be teaching above all is about greed and scarcity. Perhaps it is because he detected pride and greed in his heart and chose to focus on that because it would have more of an impact on his eternal soul than the possessions they were fighting over. There are times when we clamour for justice. We expect God to resolve things for us and take care of those in the wrong when our hearts are not set on his ways. We seek peace when we place too much importance on the things of this world. We can be tempted to see the world as a fearful place. We seek control. We seek indicators of meaning and value. We seek stability and to remove fear in our hearts. All of these things lead us to seek abundance of possessions. Jesus' message to us is extremely timely. As we have too little money or too much God remains in control. Regardless of our earthly possessions God sent his son to die for us. Regardless of our physical need we will end up in an eternal heaven with a loving Father who cherishes us and will pour out his glory upon us as much as we are willing to receive it through faith. Justice is clearly important. It is also important that we act in wisdom regarding our stewardship of financial resources to reduce our suffering and the suffering of others, but it is far more important for us to root out fear and pride out of our own hearts. Similarly 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How do you feel you should adjust your relationship to earthly things? Final Thought: Trust in God. He is eternally faithful. Even if we feel that he does not respond to our earthly need, as he did when interacting with this person. We can learn to put off our faith in money and our faith in possessions and we place greater faith in the eternal goodness of the God of the universe. Bad things do happen to good people. And sometimes those bad things teach us extremely valuable lessons. As we develop our faith in God we can fear and cling less to the things of this world. We can learn to detach from our desires and our things. Spend some time specifically placing the focus of our hearts on feeling the love of God and minimizing the fear and greed we experience in life. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditat

Hebrews 4 NIV 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

210 Jesus Understands our Temptation A Guided Christian Meditation on Hebrews 4:14-16 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Hebrews 4 NIV 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. NABRE 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. 16 So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help Meditation on Scripture: For many Christians this Wed was Ash Wed and this week began a period of 40 days of fasting called lent. In episode 75 I covered the beggining verses of Matthew 4 which is the temptation of Jesus which you may enjoy this week. This week's scripture is in reference to the experience Jesus has while on earth, living life as a man. Jesus understands what temptation is like. He understands what it is like to give up the necessities of life. Sometimes our greatest sin is when we get consumed with desires that we feel overcome us, but this scripture gives us hope. Our experience with temptation does not need to drive us into the ground in shame, rather our understanding of how Jesus understands this human experience can give us hope in His ability to help us overcome sin. During the weeks that lead up to Easter we can be mindful of this tension. We can observe our temptation within ourselves and plead with God to help us transform on a trajectory similar to His Son. We can approach the throne of grace confidently and as we attempt to overcome temptation and sin we can receive timely help if we consistently approach God in love and humility. As Jesus said, man will not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. In your efforts to reduce your submission to sin and focus on the Sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus this season, keep the faith. Each time your heart feels discouraged, may it be lifted. Each time you think that you are too far gone or that you have done too much for God to forgive, remember his understanding and his desire for you to keep drawing ever nearer and abandoning sin. Use this time of prayer and fasting as a way to stay connected with Him in the middle of the tumultuous times so when we arrive at the gate he will invite us to enter into his presence because we have spent a life of trying to follow, although in a flawed way. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How does knowing that Jesus was tempted as we are help you to relate to God? Final Thought: God has an overwhelming desire to help us overcome the natural effects of sin while helping us to develop and embrace his spirit of Grace. Fatih in God is also trusting in His process to transform us. Fortunately or unfortunately this includes a lot of trial and error as we attempt to clearly discern the will of the Lord then struggle against our rebellious natures to return each time we go astray. I firmly believe that it is important for us to take accountability for our sin while also not being bowled over by shame. Allow the peace of our understanding God to enter your heart as you attempt to give up sin in your life. That is what the Easter season is all about. Trust in new beginnings. Trust in an all powerful risen

NIV 1 This is what the LORD says: "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, …. 10"Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, 11and say to them, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

208 Will The Lord Break His Pottery A Guided Christian Meditation on Jeremiah 19:1, 2, 10, 11 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Jeremiah 19 NRSV 1 Thus said the Lord: Go and buy a potter's earthenware jug. Take with you some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, 2 and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. …... 10 Then you shall break the jug in the sight of those who go with you, 11 and shall say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended. In Topheth they shall bury until there is no more room to bury. NIV 1 This is what the LORD says: "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, …. 10"Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, 11and say to them, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. Meditation on Scripture: This scripture is stern. It represents a fierce threat from God. As we learn and develop our relationship with God it can be tempting to look at Jesus and think that God would never truly bring punishment on anyone. Perhaps we see Him as a permissive and passive parent. This Jesus of Nasareth is the same Jehovah who sternly warned others of pending destruction. Many people struggle with notions of Gof because of how they interpret the Old Testament. Is God love or does God demand obedience? Which view is accurate? what if they are one and the same. I have a fervent conviction that God prefers us not to fear. Scripture teaches that God does not give us the spirit of fear but of power. Yet he is not permissive of sin. When he healed a lame man at the waters of Bethesda he said to the man "Stop sinning or something worse will happen." Jesus said many times that we need to believe and follow Him. If we make mistakes, we can come back. We can overcome sin with His help. In this moment I want you to imagine sitting in front of a loving smiling God. As you look into his loving face you begin to ponder on your current sins. What feeling rushed over you? My goal with this excersize is not to help you excuse your sin but to realize that any guilt we feel has one purpose. To draw us to the throne of grace and help us overcome that sin. Imagine now that as you look God in the eyes he strengthens you enough to leave your sin. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What sins do you need to release from your heart? Final Thought: as I said the purpose of guilt is to draw us to God and reconcile with each other and prevent us from sin in the future. It had no useful purpose outside of that. Satan knows that persistent guilt distracts and demotivates us from loving in the love of God. As you strive to love and live as God would have you do, embrace the fact that you can release the guilt required to draw you to repentance and trust God to forgive as He has said. He loves you and wants you to feel his peace. Embrace Hos peace as you accept his help in overcoming sin. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Jeremiah 18 NASB 1 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Arise and go down to the potter's house; there you will hear my word. 3 I went down to the potter's house and there he was, working at the wheel. 4 Whenever the vessel of clay he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making another vessel of whatever sort he pleased. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done?—oracle of the Lord. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

206 Can I Not Treat You As The Potter a Guided Christian Meditation on Jeremiah 18:1-6 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Jeremiah 18 NASB 1 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Arise and go down to the potter's house; there you will hear my word. 3 I went down to the potter's house and there he was, working at the wheel. 4 Whenever the vessel of clay he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making another vessel of whatever sort he pleased. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done?—oracle of the Lord. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. NABRE 1 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Arise and go down to the potter's house; there you will hear my word. 3 I went down to the potter's house and there he was, working at the wheel. 4 Whenever the vessel of clay he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making another vessel of whatever sort he pleased. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done?—oracle of the Lord. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. Meditation on Scripture: Much of the time when us humans consider the word of the Lord we ponder what it means to us. We try and figure out what the Lord is doing in our life. We have a tendency to expect that what we think about something is important perhaps because much of God's focus when he speaks to us is to help move us along to follow in His path. Consider things from God's perspective. As he shapes the cosmos and has formed this earth at times he has declared that things are not how he wants them. The Old Testament is filled with this kind of language. How often do we consider God's justice from His perspective? How often do we see the struggle he has with our wickedness and disobedience. In being all powerful God could force each of us to follow the commandments. Yet he doesn't do this. Instead he lets things develop and at times problems grow, such as in the time of Jeremiah when the whole nation was punished for idol worship. Consider your life as a delicate glob of clay in the hands of a true master craftsman. As God works to shape you and change you into what he wants of you, He knows what he wants it to look like. At times that may mean that certain areas will be stretched and pushed. Certain areas will be pinched or ground down. Even with all of this at times His goals for us may take more. Perhaps you have experienced a moment in your life that has felt like a clay jar was finally starting to take shape and then everything came crashing down around you. Perhaps it was because God had different expectations for you. Perhaps as you allow him to rework you again, your relationship will him will continue to develop. Perhaps he will be more satisfied with the outcome, even though it has caused a lot of frustration or heart ache. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Do you trust God to sculpt your life? Final Thought: As we give up on holding God to our human standard and expectation we can find peace in knowing that his goal for us, is spiritual growth. He does not care about the things we are able to obtain in this life. He wants to know if we learned to live and love. If not then we may need to be tossed again and sculpted again. If you are in the middle of a smooth period, or plateau give thanks to the God who is forming you and search deep within your heart for what your expectations are about life. Does God owe you this smooth period? I truly feel that as we spend our smooth periods learning to be grateful we can escape some of the snares of pride. Your life's design may not make sense to y

Bible verses for Meditation: Matthew 25 NRSV 8 The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Meditation on Scripture: FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

204 Give Us of Your Oil a Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 25:8-10 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be change d by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Matthew 25 KJV 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. NRSV 8 The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Meditation on Scripture: This is an excerpt from the parable of the 10 virgins in which there are ten young women who are invited to a wedding. The groom comes much later than expected and the oil burning lamps they brought had run out of fuel. The half that brought extra oil didn't have enough to share. The most clear metaphor is that the oil represents our spiritual development and relationship with God. This cannot be borrowed from anyone else And also cant be given by anyone else. The scripture shows how the women were directed to those people that sell oil. Where is this metaphorical oil obtained? I can only come from God. Even though I do this podcast that reaches hundreds of thousands, it actually cant do anything to give new oil to anyone. The only way that we can obtain spare oil is to open our hearts to God and to receive it from Him. only place to get that 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What are you doing to ensure you have extra oil? Final Thought: Jesus has stated that He will return. We cannot wait to prepare to meet Him until the end. We cannot wait to draw our hearts near to the Lord. I hope and pray that each of us are more able to so this each day. I deeply supplicate the Lord that these meditations can provide some context for us to be able to do that. Spend the emotional energy required to make sacred space and time in your life. Part of God's initial covenants with Abraham was that He will be our God and we will be His people. Make your heart available to do that. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Peter 3 NRSV 3 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; NABRE 13 Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, Meditation on Scripture: FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

202 Do Not Fear What They Fear a Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Peter 3:13-15 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be change d by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Peter 3 NRSV 3 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; NABRE 13 Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, Meditation on Scripture: Do you fear the world? How much do you stress? Do you fear an evil influence in the world or in your life? What about stress over other things in your life. Do you fear about money or relationships? Chances are if you are listening to this then you spend a lot of time thinking about or combatting against stress. Stress can feel debilitating. As part of my work I follow the research on stress and how it impacts us as humans. I was participating in a multi day training on trauma and PTS this week. Some of the most important and compelling research about stress that I have seen is summarized in in a TED talk called "How to Make Stress Your Friend." By Kelly McGonigal Although she does indicate that stress can lead to negative health outcomes however, this effect is entirely stopped for people who think that stress is good for them. Let me say that another way. If you believe stress has a positive roll in your life then it does not have the negative health effects in your life. I feel that this touches the same concept represented here. Wether we are talking about stress or suffering for Christ, the truth is that we can use our brain to change the way we perceive this. We can learn to rejoice that the Faithfulness of Jesus and that our faith in God is strong enough to get us over hardship just as we can trust that our physical stress responses in life can lift our focus and attention to help us rise to the challenges of life. If we do this we can feel the paradoxical peace of courage. As an example I preached in front of a new church. As I was getting ready to stand up, my heart began to race at the prospect of public speaking I embrace that as a blessing from God to help me hone my focus. We can literally reinterpret suffering and stress in our lives as signs of greater purpose and function. God can help us find more peace by helping our hearts be courageous. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What message is written on the tables of your heart? Final Thought: The irony of our defense of God is that is referenced here is that it does not require a fearful heart. Our response to any challenge can be an opportunity to life as Jesus did. Remember this as you feel stress. Stress is your body's response to challenge that helps you rise to the ocassion. I have found that as I learn to not fear my stress response that it is oddly less stressful and fear inducing. Our faith in God can help us come to realize God will lift your heart as you embrace and trust in God's ability to help you overcome the fear in your heart that harms your ability to overcome. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Peter 1 NIV 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ESV 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

200 Confirm Your Calling a Guided Christian Meditation on 2 Peter 1:5-10 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be change d by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Peter 1 NIV 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ESV 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. Meditation on Scripture: Purpose in life comes from living according to the manner God has asked us. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What message is written on the tables of your heart? Final Thought: I believe profoundly in the redemptive power of God. Not only to consign our souls to eternal reward or punishment but also to change us here, to make our lives a closer approximation of the kingdom of God. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Bible verses for Meditation: Genesis 15 NABRE 9 He answered him: Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 He brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. 17 When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. NIV 9 So the Lord said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. Meditation on Scripture: How did God determine that there would be a need for the Cross? Are we blessed to have wandered into the most eternally convenient coincidence that Jesus died for us? This is a very dense section of scripture. I picked it for a unique reason. At first glance this section is confusing. The strangeness of it causes us to gloss right over it sometimes. I have a possible interpretation. In the period of Abraham, roughly 2 thousands years before Jesus, there was a unique practice performed by powerful kings. It was a type of covenant and submission that was performed by a lower king called the assal who were serving under the power of a greater king called Suzerain. They would take animals and cut them in half and take the halves and separate them then the lesser king would walk between them. This was a symbol that if the vassal king did not live up to the covenant than he would be divided in two as the animals were. In this scripture it appears as though Abraham is being set up as the Vassal King yet Abraham is not what passes between the Animals but a smoking fire and a flaming torch. Some have interpreted this to be a representation of Jehovah. In other words, as part of the Covenant of Abraham Jehovah himself placed himself as responsible for the failure of Abraham and his posterity to maintain faithfulness to the Covenant. My goal with this scripture is to help us ponder on the mystery that is God's preparation to save us and the inevitability of our need to be saved. Despite our best intentions of positive change, if we do it alone and without God, it will not provide lasting change. As you continue to work toward improvement realize this, without God all change is incomplete at best or worse yet, pointless. Involve God in the goals for positive change that you have. We have evidence thousands of years ago that God has been preparing to bless us. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What is involved with your covenant with God? Final Thought: Long before Abraham had his son, long before Jacob's name was changed to Israel, before the Sons of Israel entered egypt, before the Exodus Jehovah was giving signs and prophecy of the need for the Cross. God was not surprised in an eternal sense that we would need a Savior. His plan to send His Son was not a last minute decision. It was because he cared for you and I before we were ever born. When we fall short of our potential at times, and sin, this is not a surprise to Him either. The Good News of the gospel is that despite our failure that God can and will forgive us if we believe in Jesus and follow His path. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

198 The Covenant of The Smoking Fire and Flaming Torch a Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 15:9,10, 17 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be change d by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Genesis 15 NABRE 9 He answered him: Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 He brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. 17 When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. NIV 9 So the Lord said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. Meditation on Scripture: How did God determine that there would be a need for the Cross? Are we blessed to have wandered into the most eternally convenient coincidence that Jesus died for us? This is a very dense section of scripture. I picked it for a unique reason. At first glance this section is confusing. The strangeness of it causes us to gloss right over it sometimes. I have a possible interpretation. In the period of Abraham, roughly 2 thousands years before Jesus, there was a unique practice performed by powerful kings. It was a type of covenant and submission that was performed by a lower king called the assal who were serving under the power of a greater king called Suzerain. They would take animals and cut them in half and take the halves and separate them then the lesser king would walk between them. This was a symbol that if the vassal king did not live up to the covenant than he would be divided in two as the animals were. In this scripture it appears as though Abraham is being set up as the Vassal King yet Abraham is not what passes between the Animals but a smoking fire and a flaming torch. Some have interpreted this to be a representation of Jehovah. In other words, as part of the Covenant of Abraham Jehovah himself placed himself as responsible for the failure of Abraham and his posterity to maintain faithfulness to the Covenant. My goal with this scripture is to help us ponder on the mystery that is God's preparation to save us and the inevitability of our need to be saved. Despite our best intentions of positive change, if we do it alone and without God, it will not provide lasting change. As you continue to work toward improvement realize this, without God all change is incomplete at best or worse yet, pointless. Involve God in the goals for positive change that you have. We have evidence thousands of years ago that God has been preparing to bless us. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What is involved with your covenant with God? Final Thought: Long before Abraham had his son, long before Jacob's name was changed to Israel, before the Sons of Israel entered egypt, before the Exodus Jehovah was giving signs and prophecy of the need for the Cross. God was not surprised in an eternal sense that we would need a Savior. His plan to send His Son was not a last minute decision. It was because he cared for you and I before we were ever born. When we fall short of our potential at times, and sin, this is not a surprise to Him either. The Good News of the gospel is that despite our failure that God can and will forgive us if we believe in Jesus and follow His path. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast

NRSV 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; 3 and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

196 You Are A Letter of Christ Written on The Heart a Guided Christian Meditation on 2 Corinthians 3:3-6 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be change d by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: 2 Corinthians KJV 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. NRSV 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; 3 and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Meditation on Scripture: One thing that I hope you grasp about the purpose of this podcast is that it is not meant to simply help you feel a little more calm. Although I belive that is a deep and intentional side effect. The goal is to help us connect with the source of peace, truth and love who is Jesus Christ. Feeling peaceful is not what saves us. The state of mind or heart should not be the end goal. If you notice yourself feeling better as you do these meditations I hope you see that as a valuable stepping stone to a more profound relationship with God. A relationship that invariably will change us. One key difference that is often mentioned in podcasts such as the Being Well Podcast by Dr. Rick Hansen is moving from the focus of state to trait. In other words trying to develop tendencies toward positive emotions within us. Our relationship with God has the ability to do that, but for all eternity. Our goal should be to write the new covenant of Jesus upon our hearts and that our lives will be a living embodiment of the gospel of Jesus Christ. My hope is that as we hear of these aspirations that we don't feel fear or guilt. It is God who makes us competent enough to do the things He asks us to do. As you are making righteous desires to live your new commitments and goals I ask you to trust God one step more. Instead of being content to have good habits that produce good feelings, look for the deeper change inside of you. It will often be iterative, happening stronger with successive progress. My hope for you is that these changes take root deep inside of you and write God's law on the fleshy tables of your hearts 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What message is written on the tables of your heart? Final Thought: I believe profoundly in the redemptive power of God. Not only to consign our souls to eternal reward or punishment but also to change us here, to make our lives a closer approximation of the kingdom of God. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com App Store App: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

NRSV 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant. 14 "Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

194 As For Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord A Guided Christian Meditation on Josua 24:13-15 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Joshua 24 NIV 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.' 14 "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." NRSV 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant. 14 "Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Meditation on Scripture: Each of us have blessings in our lives and many things which we do not deserve. Things which were prepared for us without our forethought and action. The very resurrection of our Lord is an example of this. This is the situation we find ourselves in. Despite this many of us face challenges. Perhaps even things things can be what is referred to here. Perhaps our fields do have some vicious weeds in them. Regardless, we have a life ideally suited to give us the experiences we need to grow and choose faith in God. During this time of introspection that follows the new year I hope that we can take this message to heart. It is natural and helpful to look deep inside ourselves for improvement. We can look deep in our hearts as thoughtfully as possible. We can ask ourselves in my home and in my heart, who do I truly serve. When confronted with temptation what do I choose? When confronted with doubt, what do I choose to do and to believe? I think an important concept here is who do we choose this day. You live only today. When tomorrow arrives it will be today then. When we die someday it will feel like a today. When we go to our final spiritual reward that will become our eternal new type of moment. In this moment we can choose. In this moment we can serve. As we made new goals and objectives may we not experience them with the fear and weight of the future. We can't carry the weight of all future decisions in this moment. All we have to do is choose God this day, this hour, this moment. Set your goals to be big and then focus on what you need to do today. If one day you find yourself struggling against the weight of continuing your new habit or stopping old habbits bring your focus in and focus on just this moment. Today I can live a pure life. This moment I can choose God. This second I can release all inappropriate desire and urges. We can make goals for the future then live in this moment continually toward their fulfillment. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What can you decide to do in this moment? Final Thought: I have found that something that gets in the way of our positive intentions is the worry of the future. How could we possibly do this forever? That is too much stress and pressure. I have found it immensely helpful to powerfully commit to the new behavior I seek or the new goal but not get burdened by the weig

NABRE 20 That is not how you learned Christ, 21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, 22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

192 Be Made New in the Attitude of Your Minds A Guided Christian Meditation on Ephesians 4:20-24 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Ephesians 4 NIV 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. NABRE 20 That is not how you learned Christ, 21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, 22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth. Meditation on Scripture: Rejoice in newness. Not novelty of possessions or situation in life but something more profound. Many times as we continue our walk with Christ we forget some of the passion that drives us when we first feel forgiven and renewed. It can be extremely important that we rejoice in this awareness even years and decades later. We have been created to be like God. God has already extended to us a pardon for our trust in him. Yet why is it important that Paul reminds these people of their conversion? Why does he need to tell them of their original and strong testimony of transformation? Was it not enough? What it not genuine? Was your conversion enough? This question is of course meant to be rhetorical. The answer to this question is much less important than what we experience by asking it. The answer is of course no and of course yes. If it was enough we could keel over and die the moment we profess faith in Jesus Christ. Yet we don't. We could also have perfect visions of the outline of the rest of our lives, but interestingly very few people could claim such a gift. We are left in our faith, in other words we are left to spend the rest of our lives attempting to walk in God's spirit and continually receive this transformation. As we begin the new year and you ponder what aspects of your life you could improve upon consider this, Christ can continue to transform you. Your change is not reliant solely upon your own willpower. Trust that God can help you make progress toward your worthwhile goals. Give up your corrupted desires. Refresh in your mind the truth of Jesus you have learned and trust and allow that this truth can guide your life toward continual improvement. This improvement does not need to be through force of white knuckled will but it can be the calm assurance that a loving God will continue to work in those who believe and trust him and continually try to follow. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Do you live your life purposefully with Jesus as your King? Final Thought: I deeply hope that during this season that you will find deeper devotion to the relationships that are most important. My greatest hope for you is that you draw nearer to God both in good times and in bad. Both in busy times and lonely ones. In times of mourning and times of celebration. In times of light and while walking through the dark. Remember that Jesus is your king. He understands your needs better than you do. As the passage of time washes away the confusion and absolutist assumptions that we wrongly hold at times I truly believe that this life will be the greatest school house for Grace that we could have imagined. As we attempt to walk with God we may not feel Him by our side the whole time, but when it is all done and we are kneeling before Him we will finally come to u

Bible verses for Meditation: KJV 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

190 For This Was I Born A Guided Christian Meditation on John 18:37-39 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: KJV 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? NIV 37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 38 "What is truth?" retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?" Meditation on Scripture: I have loved this passage of scripture for a long time. As we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this scripture puts it into focus. His birth had a purpose. The light came into the world and the world did not receive it. Something that we can ask ourselves this season is an amended version of what Pilate asked. Instead of trying to figure out if Jesus is a king. We should try and figure out if he is THE king, more specifically, is he YOUR king. This can be a heavy yet deeply meaningful question. Do we live in such a way that shows that Jesus is our king? If we claim to trust and believe Him but then don't follow him he isn't much of a king. Regardless of how we interpret the role of the spirit in our purification one thing is clear from scripture, Jesus wants us to follow him. It is not enough to philosophically be comfortable with God's truth. We need to embody it. You can almost here the futility in Pilates words when he questions what is truth. He tries to free Jesus in some vague way but when it comes down to it, he does not accept Jesus as HIS king. Another thing that strikes me about this scripture is the certainty that Jesus had about his own purpose. As he was being falsely accused he firmly understood that that current hardship was part of his purpose. This passage inspires me to seek resolution of purpose. I have a deep desire to know what God would want for my life. In the meantime we take the best action we can or the best action we are motivated to. During this time of celebration I ask that you spend some time with God in prayer and meditation. Wrestle with the question, is Jesus your King, and if so how could you show that? It is my belief that as we make the best efforts we are capable of in our fallen state, that God's grace moves in us and can fill us with purpose to carry us through. I encourage you to seek from God to know how to more purposefully live your life. In the absence of any hard answer take the 2 great commandments as your guide. Love God, and love your neighbor. By love we dedicate ourselves to service to God and our fellow humans. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Do you live your life purposefully with Jesus as your King? Final Thought: I deeply hope that during this season that you will find deeper devotion to the relationships that are most important. My greatest hope for you is that you draw nearer to God both in good times and in bad. Both in busy times and lonely ones. In times of mourning and times of celebration. In times of light and while walking through the dark. Remember that Jesus

NABRE 5 So I thought it necessary to encourage the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for your promised gift, so that in this way it might be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an exaction. 6 Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

188 God Loves a Cheerful Giver A Guided Christian Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:5-8 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: NABRE 5 So I thought it necessary to encourage the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for your promised gift, so that in this way it might be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an exaction. 6 Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. ESV 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. Meditation on Scripture: As our lives become increasingly complex we can feel worn and defensive. I have heard numerous commercials about the need for people to get themselves Christmas presents. By no means do I want to suggest that buying things we need is misguided, I think the increasingly prevalent mindset of thinking of ourselves as the most deserving recipients of our own gifts is. In my experience the more we think about how we gain from a situation, the less effective we are at doing what is most important, to give our love and help to those who need it. I will use a recent example. As many of you know I was at the Navy Chaplain school recently. I was there for a little less than 2 months. During that time I was stretched physically and organizationally. It was hard work but I made a decision early on to make every effort to make meaningful friendships with everyone I could and to treat them with the Love of God above all else. I gave up all goals of advancing my personal reputation in their eyes but instead focused on being supportive and caring. At the end of the class I was voted by my classmates for the student leadership award because of this. I dont share this as a humble brag but because I have spent many hours trying to wrestle with this. It was a complete surprise to me. I removed recognition from my goals. I attempted to give others what they most need, love. During this Christmas season I want you to consider how you can give of what is most meaningful in your 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How can you give more openly? Final Thought: As we reflect on the purpose of Christmas we are reminded that we are truly celebrating light coming into the world. We celebrate the example of love offered by Jesus. Resist getting emotionally caught up in the expectations of this time of year and just enjoy those around you, even as you encounter their flaws up close nad personal. When this life is over and we are dead, none of the things we buy, give, and receive will make any difference. The thing that will make a difference is how we learned to relate to each other in love. As you take these deep breaths, let go of the fear of loving others. Let go of the apathy that holds you back from caring for others. Think in your mind how you can bless the lives of the humans who happen to be sharing the earth with you this day. Let us all join together in a spirit of loving companionship as we bless the poor with physical blessin

Christian Meditation on John 11:22-26 ESV 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

186 I Am The Resurrection and The Life A Guided Christian Meditation on John 11:22-26 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: John 11:22-26 KJV 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? ESV 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Meditation on Scripture: With such a great season of rejoicing and celebration our memories are created with great strength. Many times these memories are good, other times they are not. Between the months of November and December people connect tragic events to this season for the better part of 20 percent of the year. This may be from death or any other type of separation. As Christians our goal should be to remember the Christmas season as an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The tender scene at the manger is so meaningful because of who that baby was and what he would do. Many people I have met have lost people around the holidays. Their loss is felt more intently at this time of year. As an example, when I worked in the ICU in the hospital I attended to the families of 4 patients who were removed from life support. I am keenly aware that Thanksgiving will be forever changed for those families. My heart goes out to people who have lost someone during the Christmas season, including some who have written me messages. In this same moment we reflect on the words of Jesus. He is the resurrection and the life. We can trust and rely on the word of God. We shall live again with Him. Any loss we currently experience will not be forever. According to the sovereignty and mercy of God we can trust that our common faith will reunite us. We can trust in the mercy of God. Despite this I don't feel that our normal human feelings should be anything to fear. Earlier in this same passage, Jesus himself wept over the death of Lazarus even though he knew he was going to raise him. All things combine for the good of those who love God. As we follow the example of Jesus Christ we can emulate the way He loved and trusted in the Father. May we continually prepare our hearts this Christmas season to rejoice in the glory of God while dealing with our human feelings. God loves us and loves every person we have known. Even death cannot separate us from His love. . 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How has suffering built endurance and character in you? Final Thought: This week I was out in the field. I was in the northern US in Massachusetts and it was very cold. I was sleeping in a tent and performing a lot of very challenging physical events such as hiking with fully loaded packs of gear, obstacle courses, and a wide variety of strength tests. When it was over I arrived back at my lodging here at the schoolhouse the day before Thanksgiving. I was sore and bruised all over. I was missing my wife and kids who are across the country. It was an antithetical way of realizing my blessings. My life is so overwhelmingly blesse d. Suffering and blessing are integrally connected. It is because of our challenges that we realize our ble

NRSV 1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

184 Suffering Produces Endurance, Character, Hope A Guided Christian Meditation on Romans 5:1-5 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: KJV Romans 5 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. NRSV 1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Meditation on Scripture: As humans we feel like we need to understand the world. We feel out of control if we dont understand things. This feeling has challenged many people to the point were they question wether God is all knowing or all powerful. Although I think this is a natural place to move through in our development of faith, I have seen people get stuck on this question. This scripture is so meaningful because it talks about justification connected to but not identical to the development of our character. I think this gives insight into the questions of purpose of suffering. I was listening to an interview with Dr. James Gordon on the Being well Podcast. He spoke about how he works with people who grow through their trauma. One girl, who witnessed her family killed in a war learned a deep lesson of compassion for her own suffering. As we learn to endure our character become stronger and enhances our hope in redemption through Jesus Christ if we remain open to God's spirit as our character grows. Each of us have our own challenges. There are seasons of life filled with challenges and other seasons less so. But the fact that remains is that we are challenged. I invite you to let go of your demand that suffering must make sense in the immediate future. Allow it to be an enigmatic question that God is working to enhance and change eternal character. God is good and full of love. For this reason he offers us the ability to grow in hope this way. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How has suffering built endurance and character in you? Final Thought: This week I was out in the field. I was in the northern US in Massachusetts and it was very cold. I was sleeping in a tent and performing a lot of very challenging physical events such as hiking with fully loaded packs of gear, obstacle courses, and a wide variety of strength tests. When it was over I arrived back at my lodging here at the schoolhouse the day before Thanksgiving. I was sore and bruised all over. I was missing my wife and kids who are across the country. It was an antithetical way of realizing my blessings. My life is so overwhelmingly blesse d. Suffering and blessing are integrally connected. It is because of our challenges that we realize our blessings. Our blessings help support us through our challenges. The greatest blessing of all is the love and grace of God. God loves you. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMedit

182 I Stand All Amazed A Guided Christian Meditation on Hebrews Hebrews 13:15-16 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: NIV 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

182 I Stand All Amazed A Guided Christian Meditation on Hebrews Hebrews 13:15-16 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: NIV 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ESV 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Meditation on Scripture: The message of Thanksgiving I feel today is represented in a quote from "I stand all amazed" by Charles Gabriel I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me. I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died. I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine, That he should extend his great love unto such as I, Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify. I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt! Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget? No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat, Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet. The above verses of Hebrews teach how Jesus was the replacement for the temple sacrifice. He is also a replacement for the sacrifice of our souls also. Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God for His marvelous mercy and grace. Take this moment and give thanks to God. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: How can you more actively praise God with praise and thanks in your life? Final Thought: Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time to give thanks for all the things we have. If we are not careful we can fall into the trap of looking around at surface level blessings. Perhaps we can even be more thoughtful and be grateful for those loved ones that surround us. None of this compares to the greatest blessing of all that we have receive. That is the grace of God. In the greatest of eternal ironies God loves us fallen creatures. He loves you. Thanks be to God for that love. Let us spend this week receiving his grace and love, giving thanks for it, and passing it on to all the people we come in contact with. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. NIV 18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" 19 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

180 On That Day They Will Fast A Guided Christian Meditation on Mark 2:18-20 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: NIV 18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" 19 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. NABRE 18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to him and objected, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day Meditation on Scripture: Fasting is an ancient tradition. It is used the world over and has a deep tradition in Christianity. When Jesus was baptized he engaged in 40 day fast afterward. This is known as the temptation of Jesus. He suffered hunger and was tempted by Satan to give in to his body of flesh. He knew the appetites of the flesh. Many of the sins that we fall into in our lives are motivated by our human physical appetites. I think this is why fasting can be such a powerful spiritual tool. It helps us set aside even legitimate cravings for food as we learn to trust in the strength of the Lord. If done with moderation, fasting can be a powerful way of brining our creature desires into perspective. I think God has asked people to fast for spiritual benefits. There are also health benefits to fasting that modern science is still catching up to understand but these are side effects not the main motivation. One thing that is clear from scripture is that fasting is very often coupled together in scripture with prayer. When we fast it should be as an act of religious devotion, not as a diet strategy. We can begin with prayer, pray throughout, and end with prayer. In the great cosmos of God's creations the clump of atoms that we put into our mouths does not change much. God is not impacted by us not eating, but we are. Our devotion can be focused inside ourselves as we become willing to give up our human desires. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States and we are preparing to celebrate Christmas next month. As we eat from abundance may we also recognize that our human physical desires do not have to dictate what we eat. We can learn to discipline ourselves as we rejoice in the goodness of God to us. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Could fasting be a periodic part of your worship? Final Thought: As you begin to celebrate abundance may you also consider those who do not experience such abundance. One practice we can get into is to use fasting as a way to increase our offerings. As we fast we can symbolically dedicate that food to the poor as well. In other words we can provide an offering of cash equal to what we would have eaten in the meals we skip during our fast. In this way we can bless others while also engaging in a powerful spiritual discipline. I suggest you engage wisdom and prudence as you consider your fasting practice also. Exerting our extreme will in either extreme of indulgence or deprivation can distract us from our goals of submitting our will to God. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/Christi

NIV 33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

178 Love One Another as I have Loved You A Guided Christian Meditation on John 13:33-35 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: KJV 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another NIV 33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Meditation on Scripture: How do you do at loving others? This is the greatest question we can ask. I ask myself this question often. I fail. I try really hard to bot be angry at others when I am treated badly. I dont always succeed. When others are kind it makes it much easier. The reason why this is so important is because this is the greatest mandate we have. Of all the commands Jesus gave the greatest of all was love. It seems like this is a great thought when we hear it church. When we go into our lives we sometimes don't apply that message. We get some idealized version of a person in out mind but tjay annoying person from school isn't included. The person we don't get along with at the office somehow doesn't count. Once we identify this tendency in ourself the question is how do we deal with this? For cases that are more intense such as abuse it is important to involve trusted helpers such as a pastor or counselor. When we fall short of what Jesus asks of us we can pile on the shame or we can realize that what God truly wants is that make things right and learn to love. In this moment focus on releasing anger from your heart. Let hate go from your heart. Let the love of God into your heart. As you ponder those you struggle to love breathe slowly and deeply. Ponder on how to bring the love of God into their life. Breath in calm and peace. Breath out anger and hate. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Can you let go of hate? Final Thought: the mandate of God to learn to love is central to life. If you struggle with this it means you are human. The more we can learn to love the more we are learning from Jesus. The more we are learning to be like Jesus. As you go through your day make note of who bothers you the most. When you have an opportunity to pour your heart out to God, ask Him to help you learn how to love that person. Practice some meditation and release the tension of anger and hate. As we learn to overcome that we will be closer to the image of Christ which we seek. If you have been harmed or abused by someone this guidance is not meant to diminish the very real and understandable struggle you suffer with. Find someone to walk with you on this process. Love helps our hearts which is why Jesus asks is to do it. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." 27 "Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." 28 Then Jesus said to her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed at that moment. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

176 Even the Dogs Eat the Crumbs A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 15:23-28 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: NIV 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." 27 "Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." 28 Then Jesus said to her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed at that moment. NRSV 23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. Meditation on Scripture: Few things are as delicate, yet resilient, as human pride. In this passage there is an interesting and somewhat confusing exchange that goes on between Jesus and this Canaanite woman. She was an outsider, someone who was not of the people chosen by God. In the account of this story that remains with us we do not understand everything about the situation. Many people spend a lot of effort and time trying to explain away Jesus' response in these verses, yet as they remain, people interpret them differently. Anyone who has written enough emails, or text messages knows the danger of miscommunication. Many times what is received is much different than what is intended. Sometimes we interpret malice where none was meant. Yet when this happens we rarely see ourselves in the wrong. Yet here this woman is begging Jesus for help and he provides her with a response that could have easily been interpreted as scorn or hate. She chose to look past that for the saving power she was duplicating. How many of us have been harmed by someone at church? How many have heard some word from a pastor or fellow believer and had our church participation affected based on offended pride. In an age when there is so much offense given and taken we can seek to know God's desire for us. We can overcome our human feelings that drive us away from God and from each other in church. When we are called dogs or the equivalent we can keep our focus on what is truly important, the saving power of Jesus to help us overcome sin and death. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Why do you take offense? Final Thought: Earlier today I was with a chaplain friend of mine and we encountered someone who was wearing a clothing item with a particularly provocative and inappropriate message on it. Somehow in the small talk it came us and the person was somewhat apologetic about it. His response was "Its OK I happen to be a sinner." When others try and give offense, or do it on accident we can take the mindset that this all works together for our good and helps us appreciate the saving power of Jesus. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

174 We Were Ready to Share Our Soul A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 ESV 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

174 We Were Ready to Share Our Soul A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: KJV 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. ESV 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. Meditation on Scripture: Jesus' command to love is deep. It should rock our core continually. If you love me keep my commandments. The two most important included loving God and loving each other. Many times in the work that I do I see people in their worst moment in the hospital or similar context. Often I feel a deep and emotional connection, yet at the end of the day I drive home to my loving family. As I have struggled with some troubling cases I have to let them go to the care of God. The context does not allow for continued support. The problem is that this can become our default position. If there is someone sick we wish them well, pray for them, and maybe even drop food off to them if we are ambitious. But do we really share our souls? I have found the most success in helping relationships when I give up all pretense of expertise and expert status. When I drop the search for the "right" answer and just make my soul bare in the middle of their struggle. Our goal should not be to feel good about ourselves or to seek praise for serving others but to connect at our core. As we share the gospel of Jesus Christ do we share ourselves or do we share a version of the story we have created for ourselves or that someone else gave us? As we attempt to be in communion with God and others do we share ourselves or do we curate the image we present them? Do we hide behind the perfection we aspire to? The reality is that among all churches, work environments, schools, homes, there are profoundly broken people. You and I are not above that either. We all desperately need each other's help. If you are not connected with a community of people where you can truly share yourself along with the gospel, keep searching. As Paul says, love blossoms into a desire to be real about who we are, while at the same time, trying to be a better version of ourselves. I trust that God's desire for us is to learn how to use His help and His spirit to do this. 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: Who do you truly share your soul with? Can you increase that circle? Final Thought: When I read this scripture I was both inspired and convicted. You may have heard in the past that I experience the world from an introverted lens. I have always been a very private person. I feel a tension between being comfortable in my shell and putting my deepest thoughts out into the internet. Over the last couple years of doing this podcast I have seen very directly how this message has blessed people. While I am humbled by this, I also feel it is time to rise to greater transparency. Paul's comments here show me that my love has been inspiring me, in wisdom, to share more about myself. This is my intention with the podcast going forward. May God bless me with the courage to do this more. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602)

Bible verses for Meditation: Mark 8:34-37 NIV 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

172 Take Up Your Cross and Follow A Guided Christian Meditation on Mark 8:34-37 I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: 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 contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: Mark 8:34-37 NIV 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? NRSV 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Meditation on Scripture: At the risk of being too inwardly focused I am pondering today this scripture in my own context. The day this comes out I will be on an airplane going to the Chaplaincy School for the Navy. I have spent many years in preparation for this opportunity and I feel is is something God has been calling me to. I am in the process of getting all my uniforms altered for my new designator as a chaplain. I am quite literally taking on the cross on my uniforms. I have been thinking about this in a more practical way that I have in the past yet there is little difference from the cross of Jesus that I have been asked to take up for decades in the past. Many times when I talk to people who are not in the ministry they speak of this work with a tone of mystery. In a way are we not all called to serve God and be His ministers in the various capacities in our own lives? When I was teaching physics was God expecting less of me? When I was working in other fields did God not expect me to love Him and others? What about you? Do you see your role in life as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ? Perhaps not as a preacher, or pastor of a congregation, but the path God has you on is no less important. You can bring peace and joy into people's lives around you and your own. There are many members in the body of Christ and they all have different functions, yet they are all important. If we think we get to operate at a lower standard because we are in industry then we misinterpret what Jesus is calling us to do. God loves us just how we are and he wants the best for us. For this reason he will always help us improve and overcome the sins that we fall into. On top of that he will help to mold us closer to His image as we draw near 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 being 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 Updates: Final Question: What is the ministry you can dedicate your life to? Final Thought: Taking on the cross of Jesus is not without problems. Those who were closest to the Savior found there to be real challenges to this. It will not always be easy to learn to Love as He did. There are times when those who we most want to help will respond in ways that make it hard, yet this is the life we are called to. God's strength accompanies His commands. When he asks us to follow Him, we can do it because we will be strengthened by Him. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

170 Beware of False Prophets A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 7:15-17 Matthew 7:15-20 NIV 15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ESV 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod