Christian Meditation Podcast

FIND ME ON: Patreon.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod Bible verses for Meditation: NIV Matthew 28:5-7 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you. KJV 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: This is one of the most important declaration in all of scripture. "He is not hear, for he has risen." Of all the holidays that we celebrate, Easter is the most important. Christmas is valuable because we remember the birth of the baby Jesus, but Jesus did not save us as a baby. He grew and taught. He healed and performed miracles. Of all of these things the whole point of his ministry is to help his family return to him by overcoming sin and death. This scripture hints at the echoes caused by the deep valley separating the way God is and the way we are but also shows the first evidence of eternal victory over what assails us. Despite this God uses our human weakness and our failings to His purposes. I find it interesting that the most important news the world had been given was to two women. Jesus could have appeared to his apostles. He could have appeared to the many other people who would later see him in his resurrected form. He chose Mary a women from whom he had cast out an evil spirit. Unfortunately in that time, women could not even testify in court. Yet God chose these women to be the first to declare the message of the resurrection. The inclusion of this story is not an accident. It was this story that kicked off the telling of the resurrection story. It is the first. This story shows something of the way in which God values each person. Just like Mary, You have a special role that only you can fulfill because God or angles decree it so. God is aware of you. He has no favorites. Regardless of where you have been or where you are, you are redeemable. God's power is greater than our weakness. God can and will use you for his mighty purposes. We can participate in his work on earth. If you have felt like an outsider in the church, or anywhere else. May this Easter Day be your formal invitation to join God's team. We are part of a mighty community of people who attempt, although imperfectly, to love as He does. May God bless our efforts. 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 fully join God's team this Easter. Final Thought: Nothing that you are or have done make you unlovable or unuseful to God because is already planning something better for you. Make a firm and irrevocable decision that you will no longer simply hang out at the edge of God's community but that you will dive head first and play whatever role He has in mind for you. You have the same right as any other human to receive His grace. More than metaphorically he died to give you that chance. Throw off your past hurt or hesitation and join in the fullness of fellowship of God. May this Easter provide you an opportunity to find peace, love, and joy in Christ.

Voicemail (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Website: christianmeditationpodcast.com NIV James 4 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 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.

118 Draw Near To God and He Will Draw Near to You, A Guided Christian Meditation on James 4:6-8 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. We have our guest back today! We have been working hard this week to make a meaningful podcast episode together so I hope you enjoy. 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 James 4 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 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. NABRE James 4 6 But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Something that I work on both professionally and personally perhaps more than any other thing is forming and improving a personal relationship with God. I talked with a woman this week who told me of her son who is always praying but never receiving an answer from God. I would never supposed to declare that all people who experience this have the same problem that causes it all, but if you find yourself in a place where you feel you don't feel God's presence in your life then it is natural to wonder why. Ultimately we cannot expect God to do the magic of salvation to us passively. He does it "with" us. James knows the value of Grace. He clearly states it here. I don't think James and Paul would disagree about grace when talking together. Perhaps in presentation but not in the concept that we are saved by God. Here James says that grace is poured out on the humble. For a moment consider this question. What is the difference or similarities between humility and faith? The way that humility is portrayed in scripture seems to be very close to faith. We trust God. We believe what He says. We trust His desires for us more than our own will. To draw near to him we cleanse our hands. We leave behind our double mind and join with the mind of 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: Are you truly humble before God. Final Thought: When we don't get the response from God that we want our natural human response is often laced with rebellion. The more we can let that part of our nature go and truly draw near to God, the greater we will feel his presence in our life. If we want him near we need to be willing to repent of our sinful nature and humble ourselves before God. Not because He wants to make us feel inferior, but because the process of his grace is learning to trust him, to have faith in Him. We cannot separate these two things. Faith and a humble heart are the process by which we receive God's grace. We trust to follow God and God does the amazing work in us that we cannot. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Free Form Christian Meditation on Luke 12:1-3 Voicemail (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Website christianmeditationpodcast.com NABRE Genesis 1 26 Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. 27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

116 We Are Created In The Image of God, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 1:26-27 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. We have our guest back today! We have been working hard this week to make a meaningful podcast episode together so I hope you enjoy. 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 Genesis 1 26 Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. 27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. KJV Genesis 1 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Our guest chose this scripture and is going to tell us why. I chose this scripture because, I felt Some people might have needed the feel of being made like our Heavenly Father. We are all made of 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: What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Final Thought: We are all made of God. We are all God's creations. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Free Form Christian Meditation on Luke 12:1-3 Voicemail (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Website christianmeditationpodcast.com Luke 12:1-3 NIV 1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

Click here to join the email newsletter or visit Christianmeditationpodcast.com/about ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Support the Podcast at Patreon.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Voicemail (602) 888-3759 [email protected] Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Leaven is yeast. Various places in the scriptures Jesus uses this analogy. Here he tells us to beware of the hypocrisy of others. Despite the fact that this is phrased as a caution against the actions of others it also speaks directly to each listener. Yeast was preserved and passed around so that it would spread through a community. Similarly can bad behaviors. This scripture is just as much of a caution to those who believe. There is a common struggle in the church called imposter syndrome. Many people worry that if they took of their perfect Christian mask, that who they are underneath would be abhorrent and unlovable. This is a pure deception, and accompanies a life lived in shame. God wants your heart. He doesn't want your shame. In fact as we are honest with Him the role guilt has in our heart significantly decreases. The truth is that each of us have things we have done that we are embarrassed of. If you don't feel that at least occasionally perhaps you need to think about it a little harder. Take off your mask before God and bear your heart to Him. I am not sure how things work in God's presence but based on scriptures like this, I suspect that our regular notions of full privacy of thought will not remain. As we think of the nasty things we may have written on social media, or the times when we lose our temper, or struggle with virtuous thoughts we can realize that the veil of secrecy is running out the closer we get to the end. There is no benefit to hiding ourselves from God. The beauty of God's plans is that he forgives us of our wrongs. He asks us to be honest with him and bear or whole hearts to him and He will forgive us and just as important, His grace will change 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: Details: Final Question: What do you most fear others learning about you? Final Thought: As I reflect on how I share this message. I have been thinking about how I share who I am with the internet. This brings me some anxiety but I have been thinking recently that I can't let this slow the message I am putting out. My fear of being known will not stop me from doing what I need to do. I am fully committed to living what God has in mind for me. Each of us can reevaluate our lives to see if we are living according to our God-given conscience. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Patreon.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast [email protected] Voicemail (602) 888-3795 1 Corinthians 3:10-13 NABRE 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one's work

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. NIV 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. NABRE 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one's work What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: As I have been listening to other traditional sources of Christian Meditation I have been realizing that there is a huge value in learning to let go of controlling thoughts. This is not in a effort to dilute moral principles. This is not meant to explain that that all thoughts have equal merit and value. It is a greater teaching that we can learn to let the constant chatter of our mind be viewed as something other that who we truly are. Each one of us is a spiritual creation of God. As such we have an inestimable worth. We are lovable by the greatest being in the universe. A being we cannot comprehend in this life. When we sit in quiet contemplation it is to train us to realize that the chatter of our minds is something that is happening inside of us. We have an ability in all moments to trust God. His grace blesses us with spiritual gifts. Peace during meditative time can be one of those gifts. Our efforts to control our internal chatter will be put to the test of the fire of our experience. The contemplative silence will reveal the uselessness of this effort. If we could just stop our thoughts we would be far less troubled. It is by the fire of our daily practice that we realize that we are something much deeper than our continual inner chatter. 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: Details: Final Question: What on your life would be destroyed by fire? Re Zaza Final Thought: In a moment of personal reflection I have realized that God has used my spiritual gifts to bless people. It is a humbling feeling and strange in a way. Our gifts are given by his grace. As we enhance them through concerted effort, strengthened by the spirit and grace of God, we improve. Similarly as we learn to sit in silence separate from our internal chatter we learn a little more about the mystery and miracle that God is working in us. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. NRSV 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor.[e] 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength[f] of my heart and my portion forever. I now have an email newsletter you can join by clicking here. Donate at Patreon by clicking here. My podcast page has been revamped christianmeditationpodcast.com christianmeditationpodcast.com/about christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast [email protected] (602) 888-3795 5235 E. Southern Ave. Ste D106-125 Mesa, AZ 85206

I now have an email newsletter you can join by clicking here. Donate at Patreon by clicking here. My podcast page has been revamped christianmeditationpodcast.com christianmeditationpodcast.com/about christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast [email protected] (602) 888-3795 5235 E. Southern Ave. Ste D106-125 Mesa, AZ 85206

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. NRSV 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor.[e] 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength[f] of my heart and my portion forever. NIV 21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Like many of you I have been struggling recently. I have been working toward specific goals. Health outcomes that I want. I have felt guided to a specific course of action. I have prayed and have felt God guiding me toward something that I feel inspired to do. The problem is that I don't see any real way for this thing to change. I feel in some ways that I dont know any way forward to do the thing God has directed me to do. I find myself asking if my faith is enough or if it just God's will that I struggle. Many times we alternate between illusions of grandeur and feelings of low worth. Either we imagine the God of heaven loving us so deeply or we think that we are unlovable and irrevocably flawed. I am trying to find the middle way. I am trying to hold my flaws and failings while still embracing the radical love that God has for me, a sinner. This is not a veiled attempt to confess any particular sin, just a reference to a struggle that I am having. We all have them. The important thing isnt to avoid being honest with this fact or to minimize them when it does happen. THe important thing is that we learn to humble ourselves before the Lord. Who is there in Heaven but him or without 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: Details: Final Question: What is a time that you have felt down? How did you reconcile that? Final Thought: Nobody is invincible to feeling down. Jesus himself feared the task before him. He wanted spiritual support from his Apostles outside the garden as he prayed. He cared and cried for Lazarus. He desired to be accepted and loved like us all. Even he experienced absolute rejection and isolation. As we overcome the things we stumble on in our life, we can be stronger and more spiritually mature. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Patreon.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Bible Verse For Meditation NASB 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. KJV 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. NASB 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: This scripture was recommended by my wife. It also lined up with a conversation I had with a friend. She told me of a story where her brother didn't speak to her anymore because she didn't hold the same denominational beliefs. She expressed her sadness that someone who professed Christian faith could hold such harmful views about her and her eternal prospects. Unfortunately as humans we have a long successful history of excluding others. People selectively separate themselves into tribes, groups, nations, or ideologies. People make arguments that religion has caused so much conflict such as religious extremism, I disagree profoundly. I think human power struggles and conflict are at the root of all of these conflicts and they are inherent in the way we, as fallen humans, deal with each other. This is evident in current political discourse. There is nothing inherently wrong with humans wanting to come together to set policy but it is at the root of human control and power and therefore causes deep dischord. I went to hear an orthodox priest from Jordan speak. He said something about extremism that has stuck with me. The extremism you have the most control over is your own. You have the freedom even right now, to jettison hate from your heart right now. You have the ability to become radically loving. 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: Details: Final Question: How can being honest with God about your failings help.? Final Thought: Despite all the conflict that we perceive, you can choose to love. You can choose to let go of human differences and power struggles at allow God to be the judge for others. Our goal as Christians should be to follow the greatest two commandments, Love God and Love each other. May we embrace this mindset and allow others to be different from us. We can become more self aware of how we view people who hold different beliefs. If the situation requires it, we can correct each other with love. Christ's greatest legacy is love. May we follow this example and place our fellow neighbors. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

You can listen anywhere podcasts are found and also at my website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com You can send me a personal note at ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Support the podcast at Patreon.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast ESV 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

ESV 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. NABRE 35 While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" 36 Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." 37 He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Here a Jewish leader named Jairus had requested Jesus heal his daughter. In this scripture the man is asked to overcome the bad news of hearing of his daughters death. Jesus ignored this news and talked directly to Jairus. Jesus knew he felt fear and doubt, not knowing what would happen now. Jesus proclaims something that is so applicable to each one of us. "Do not fear, Just Believe." This can be a powerful message for each of us. This week I was talking to 2 different people who were struggling with what they see as unanswered prayers. They wanted to be able to walk and were very unsettled that God had not answered their prayers to do this. It presents a difficult question. How can we keep faith, knowing that God can answer questions in whatever way he chooses? Ultimately His will is done. If we ask things of God that are not in accord with His will, we may feel disappointed. A powerful purpose we can seek then is to find a way to reconcile our normal human feelings with what actually happens. Regardless of any other response we can see that fear is not a helpful feeling. Many people died when Jesus was alive who did not get healed. God's plan for you may lead you to places you never thought you would be and you never thought you would get out of but in any case we need not fear. 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: Details: Final Question: How can being honest with God about your failings help.? Final Thought: Despite whatever our expectations are or what our desires are we can embrace this message. We need not fear. We can let go of our fear and have faith that God's will for us will provide the best option for our eternal benefit. We can trust our loving God to do what we most need. This may be exactly what we ask for or it may present new challenges. If we respond correctly, it will cause us to draw closer to God in the long run. Our goal then should be to align our will with God's and then accept what his plan is for us. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Christianmeditationpodcast.com Patreon.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact This is a free form Meditation on Mark 9:26-27 NRSV 26 Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!" 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, "Why could we not drive it out?" 29 He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer."

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. NRSV 26 Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!" 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, "Why could we not drive it out?" 29 He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer." KJV 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Continuing immediately from our massage last week. We can reach out to God in our moments of weakness and doubt. That message is continued in these following verses. Here Jesus performs this miracle in the face of bare honesty about the man's reliance on God. Jesus had the ability to purify what is inside this young man. He has similar power to purify you and I. This power is squarely in the hands of Jesus. What's more, this scripture also demonstrates that we do not form a passive role in this process. Jesus was asking more of the disciples than just to wait for him to solve otheir problems. On the flip side, he did not expect them to do it on their own. He wants to establish a relationships. He wants to establish trust. He wants to teach us how to fully know God and have unending faith in our all powerful creator. This kind comes not out but by prayer. The solution was further reliance on God, not on what power or importance they thought they had. Not in passively waiting for God to do his will. How does this message relate to you? 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: Details: Final Question: How can being honest with God about your failings help.? Final Thought: Applying this message in our life. There are problems that we can solve only by reliance on God. God can show us how to overcome. We can overcome any obstacle that is part of God's plan as we learn to trust. It may not be in the way we want. It may not be what we expect. It may take time for us to fully understand God's purposes, but the important part is that regardless of what we think God should do, that we trust that things will get better. John Lennon said wise words when he said: It will all be OK in the end, and if its not OK, then its not the end. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Visit my website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com for more information. Leave me a voicemail at 602-888-3795 NRSV 22 It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Mark 9:22-24 Call and leave me a voicemail at 602-888-3795 [email protected] ChristianMeditationPodcast.com NRSV 22 It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!" KJV 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Each and every person must face doubt in their life. This can take many forms or occur at distinct times in our lives but none of us escape it. The question is how we should respond. This is made easier when we realize that each and every thought that we have is by its very nature transitory. We are not thoughts. We are therefore not what we think about ourselves. Nevertheless there is a deeper message here. Jesus is teaching us that perfect faith is not a prerequisite to receive his blessings. He does not expect that our minds will forever remain free of doubt, rather that we are willing to work it out and approach him with those doubts. Jesus tells the father of this boy possessed of a devil that God can do all thing for those that have faith. The man's response is that his faith is true but not perfect. Jesus performs the miracle. As we continue to request blessings from God in each prayer may we have the same qualifier in our hearts regarding the response. Lord I believe, bless my unbelief. 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: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: How can being honest with God about your failings help.? Final Thought: We are not limited by temporary thoughts. When those thoughts become recurrent and frequent visitors they become more likely to affect our actions. With God's help we can overcome even troubling thoughts. We do not need to feel like we have secrets from God. When he asks for faith we don't have to pretend that we have more than we actually do. He knows anyway. I think he is please when we approach him in honest humility and ask for his help. Our efforts alone will yield failure compared to the potential available to all those who are strengthened from asking for what we truly need from God. This honestly is the core of repentance which we need in our lives. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

My wife and I have an unscripted conversation about prayer followed by a short meditation on prayer.

Bible verse for meditation:1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. KJV 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Love is so much more than the single dimensional portrait we get around Valentine's Day. The greatest love of all is the Love of God, also called Charity. The New Testament was written in Greek. For those familiar with the original texts there are 4 different words which translate into the English word Love. Philos - The love shared by brothers and sisters and the basis for the city of Philadelphia. Eros - Love between intimate romantic partners. Which is the basis for the word Erotic. Storge - the love of adults for their children. Agape - which is The greatest love is the Love of God. It is interesting that each of us experience such a wide range of love throughout our lives. As we celebrate love we can remain dedicated to living up to the model shown by Paul here in this scripture. As we work to improve in all the areas he has outlined such as patience, kindness and in overcoming anger. We can work to become more forgiving to free our hearts and open us to love in the future. We can work on improving the quality of every form of love that we feel. As we work to improve our experience with love, we will be more able to receive the Love of 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: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: What type of Love can you work to improve? Final Thought: During this week consider all the forms of Love that are active in your life. Consider how you can improve these relationships and apply God's wisdom in every relationships that you have. Something I admire about my wife is that she involves non-romantic loving relationships in her celebration of Valentine's day. We should not allow romantic love to override other equally important aspects of love. Many times we can have one relationships fill many roles of love. For example my wife and I share friendship and romance. My hope is that for each one of us we can continually work with God to bring more love into our lives. May we remember the greatest expression of Love imaginable: Greater love hath no man than this, than Jesus who laid down his life for us, his friends. May we ever feel greater gratitude for this pure example of love, and may that inspire us to live a life more full of Love. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast The Glory of God is Evident Through All Creation. Psalms 19:1-6 ESV 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. Have a blessed day.

097 The Heavens Declare the Glory of God - A Christian Meditation on Psalms 19:1-6 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 to be changed by the Spirit of God. by using a centuries old form of Christian Meditation called Lectio Divina. It consists of: Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation, Visualization Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should 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. Bible verse for meditation: 1 John 3:1-3 NABRE 2 The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands. 3 Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge. 4 [b]There is no speech, no words; their voice is not heard; 5 A report goes forth through all the earth, their messages, to the ends of the world. He has pitched in them a tent for the sun;[c] 6 it comes forth like a bridegroom from his canopy, and like a hero joyfully runs its course. 7 From one end of the heavens it comes forth; its course runs through to the other; nothing escapes its heat. ESV 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice[b] goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: I have spent many hours looking through telescopes with my brothers. Winter is an amazing time for me. The constellation Orion is out all night and I have memories of my father showing me Orion. I have never lost a sense of wonder about the stars. The closer I look, the more amazed I am with them. There is an amazing Nebula on Orion's sword. It amazes me that light has traveled over a thousand light years from that nebula to be focused by some glass to be pointed into my eye. For example I have seen M31, the Andromeda galaxy, through a telescope. It amazes me to think that Andromeda is estimated to have over a trillion stars. It is 110,000 light years across. It is over a million light years away. Meaning the photons of light that have hit my eye left Andromeda over a million years ago. Yet God could scoop those trillions stars up in one swoop if he wanted. He could also wisk the earth off and plop it down in the middle of Andromeda if he chose to. Yet he lets the laws he has created into the universe declare the might of creation. We are not sitting on some crusty rock next to nothingness. We are surrounded as far as light can travel by creation. If our ears are open to hear the wisdom of God in all creation it can fill us with wonder and amazement at the glory of God. I trust that God's hand has crafted our universe. As believers in the God of the Bible we can solidly reject the idea that change and creation occurs by randomness. The entirety of space is full of the witness of 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: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: What in creation and nature fills you will awe? Final Thought: Try looking at the night sky intently. Be careful my friends in Canada and the Northern States. If you can do it safely see if you can find a pair of binoculars and look at the constellation of Orion. From the northern hemisphere it is visible to the south. If you find the three stars of his belt then you are halfway there. Look down from his belt and you will see a small line of stars forming his sword. The bottom one of these is surrounded by a cloudy haze. That is a Nebula. Even at very low power it whispers the wisdom of God. Enjoy creation around you and God's handiwork. If we learn to relish these moments of sublime wonder they will grow in our heart and we will feel an increase of gratitude for God. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodca

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Bible verse for meditation: 1 John 3:1-3 NIV 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. KJV 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Who are you? What title or description would you give yourself? How many other titles can you think of for yourself? This scripture points out an important identity of who we are. We are children of God. This is perhaps the most profound paradigm with which we can view ourselves but even this falls short to help us fully understand. Even with the knowledge that we are joint heirs with Christ and we were created in the image of God is limited by our ability to understand intellectually and experientially what this means. I am not certain that we as mortals can fully appreciate and understand what this means. Ask yourself the question again. Who are you? The longer we ponder this question we realize that a human brain is doing the pondering and will not be able to fully know the will of God in our fallen state. There is some deeper aspect of who you are that you can't fully observe. It is the thing that made the God of the universe willing to come and die for you on a cross. This mysterious inner ellusive part of ourselves is always inside us and this is the perspective from which we listen to what our mind tells us. Let us be mindful when we listen to our mind and not believe the first thing that it tells us about our limited value 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: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: Who are you? Final Thought: Perhaps the most complete answer that we can understand with our limited human understanding is that as Children of God we are the being that can ponder this question. You are the being that can hear these words and think these thoughts. God can guide our hearts to have a deeper sense of who we truly are and what value we have. Our mind may try and trick us that we are not fully loved by God. When he appears we will be like him. He roots out what is wrong inside of use all the while loving us completely and wholly. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Bible verse for meditation: NABRE 12 "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: John 16:12-14 NABRE 12 "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ESV 12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Many times we realize how limited is our understanding of eternal things. We sense the great gulf between what we understand and what we wish we could. Sometimes we assume that the role of the spirit is to teach us all of those things. Their are times when we are short of understanding and we reach out to God and he resolves it for us. There are also times when we think what we need is more facts and that is not what we need at all. I want to share an example Last week my daughter was experiencing fear right before going to bed. She was crying. She was worrying about the future and bad things happening to her and people she cared about. My son came to tell me this. When I came to her room, I didnt say a word. I just gave her a hug and held her for a few minutes. She stopped crying really quickly and the assurance of my hug calmed her heart. She stopped worrying about the future. After she felt better we started talking. She thought she needed more facts, but in reality she most needed a peaceful feeling. So it is with God and us. We may think that we need to understand his mysteries. These questions can really get us thinking. Perhaps we wonder about some detail in scripture that is not fully explained or we wonder about what eternity will be like. We think that knowing these things will fill us with peace. But the inverse is actually true. We are more able to deal with incomplete human understanding when we are filled with God's peace. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: How can God Spirit speak peace to out hearts? Final Thought: I have spent a lot of time thinking about what happens in a black hole. I have also thought about what makes mass have gravity. These fundamental things are actually fairly easy in comparison to deeper questions like infinite and universal love or what is the purpose of life. All of these are God's truths. The Holy Spirit can teach us of them and more importantly be guided to live in the Truth of God. This is the thing that speaks peace to our hearts when we feel inexplicable beauty in the word of God. I pray that God's spirit can abide with us. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

ChristianMeditationPodcast.com ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact Patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Meditate with me on the lyrics of the Song "Be Still My Soul" which forms the backing track to my podcast each week.

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christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact Patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Bible verse for meditation: KJV 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. 3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. NIV 1 To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. 2 All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. 3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: I was listening to a podcast today and I heard something summarized that I have heard today but he said it so clearly. Goals can come and go but establishing consistent habits is what leads to lasting change. For those who follow the way of Jesus, we are on a path of improvement with peaks and valleys. As we feel inspired to follow him, at times we get discouraged, we get distracted, we lose focus. The good news is that regardless of where our hearts wander, our faith shows us we are still on the path. We can continue to trust that he will not only save us from the worst version of ourselves but that he will transform us over the course of our lives. There is a tricky balance between perfectionism and complacence. When we fail to live up to what God expects us we can take an honest look at ourselves and feel the gentle twinge to allow us to take accountability while at the same time accepting God's grace. He weighs the motives of our hearts. He will establish our plans as we trust in him and fully commit. This commitment need not be full of fear and anxiety but a calm assurance that as we remain committed to improvement that we will improve and some day, perhaps in a few million years, we will reach some of the goals he has for us. Drop the fear and continue to commit to him with faith in His power and mercy. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: How can you recommit to God? Final Thought: The statistical chance that you have messed up on some of the righteous desires you have for yourself is extremely high. I know I have already. The Good News of Jesus is that we are transformed through our faith in Him. The work he does through us can be mighty. Although you and I both have a long way to go we can rejoice in the goodness of our God. Our mighty God has the power to cast galaxies into supermassive black holes. He has the power to transform ashe into life. He is not limited even by time or our concepts of weakness and strength. This same being is the one who has declared to us that He loves us enough to show us the way and that he is patient with us as we make our best efforts to follow. Keep committed to the Lord and improving in him. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Edit: This scripture is in John chapter 15. It was originally listed as the wrong chapter. ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact Bible verse for meditation: NIV 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ESV 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Jesus is the vine we grow on. We are the branches on that vine and the things we do is the fruit. A few verses before this the Father was introduced into the metaphor as the gardener that prunes branches that produce some fruit to get them to produce more. If you have faith in God that is some fruit. Even when we don't live up to our potential, we know that God can prune us to help us improve. As he prunes us and cuts back the parts that are not helpful to us, we can provide more fruit. The repeated command here is to abide in him and he abides in us. Abiding in him is a simple thing but challenging. We can immerse ourselves in his word. We can dedicate ourselves in prayer. Above all we can trim those thoughts inside of us that are in contrast to our faith. We can silence the lusts, desires, and weakness as we yield to God. Our goals of being more healthy, and improving our spiritual life can help move us closer 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: Greatest number of downloads. Final Question: Which of your personal goals most overlap with the Glory of God? Final Thought: God's Glory is to bring fruit through us, those who believe in him. With him abiding in us we truly can bear much fruit as this scripture says. There is great overlap with the righteous goals we set for ourselves and the fruit we can bring. As we spend time in opening our hearts to him through meditations like this one, we can more fully abide with him and have more fruits. May we stay humble as we feel him pruning us and trust that with His careful hand we can bear more fruit than ever before FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

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Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Bible verse for meditation: KJV 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. NRSV 28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: What a powerful message. Many people at this time of a year feel exhausted. Engaged with work, activity, and even charitable acts we may feel overwhelmed by all that we have committed to. When Jesus speaks of the heavy laden or those carrying heavy burdens he is addressing each one of us in a way. It may be burdens of sin and guilt, or anxiety and depression, or physical work, or a combination of many of these. I find it interesting that Jesus' recommendation to those who carry heavy burdens is to take HIS yoke upon us. A Yoke is a type of harness that links together multiple animals to carry some heavy weight so that they weight is shared between them. What this means is that we share the weight and don't carry it along. In other places in scripture Paul recommends that we equally yolk ourselves with other believers. We can rely on each other and help each other. Most importantly though of all is the role that Jesus plays in this. In the struggles of our lives, Jesus is the one that carries the heaviest weights. He is not a task master with a whip sitting behind us or guiding us with a rope from in front, but he walks beside us and pulls our weights when we are weak. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Final Question: What burden can you give to the Lord? Final Thought: With the Christmas season behind us, the new year is upon us. As we prepare to refresh our efforts and goals for improvement, may we feel guided by peace and hope instead of obligation and guilt. As we take on the yolk of Jesus our burdens are eased, because he helps us focus on his path and what he wants for us and he carries us. In this way, his burden is truly light. As you commit to working toward goals of self improvement may you be comforted and guided along the way of the Lord for you. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Bible verse for meditation: KJV 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: When I worked in the hospital, one of the areas I was assigned was in the labor and delivery floor. I was there to pray with new mothers and comfort families when things didn't go well. It still causes me to pause and reflect that average people today have such high tech support when the Savior of the world, the very Son of God, was born in so humble circumstances. It is hard for me to imagine these shepherds coming to this common place. Not a hospital but a place where livestock lived. Jesus was not born in a sterile room. Despite the humble circumstances of his birth, angels declared to the shepherds of his saving role. I can only imagine these shepherds seeing a whole sky full of angels singing praises to Jesus. That the angels appeared to shepherds was interesting. Shepherds are a constant metaphor in scripture. Jesus himself said that he is the good shepherd. He said that his sheep hear his voice and follow and obey him. Those of us who have heard the word of Jesus become shepherds and stewards of that word. The Magi or wise men also were shown the way to God but it doesn't say anything about angels guiding them. They read of prophecies and the new star. God can and does use our own strengths and weaknesses in guiding us along the path He has in mind for 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Final Question: What will you do on Christmas day to hark to the message of these angels and honor the birth of Jesus? Final Thought: God can guide each of us in the way that we need. The common factor is a willingness to be guided by God. Each of us may receive his guidance differently. It may be through study, meditation, prayer, bearing witness and testimony of what we know. Most likely it will be many of these things. One thing is certain though, it will come as a result of faith. May this Christmas be full of faith and God's spirit of peace and love. May whatever unpleasant or dark memories of this season be replaced with the true joy of His birth. May our reflections on the whole nativity scene remind us that God can guide any humble heart to Him if we have faith and trust in Him. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

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I'd love to hear your feedback. Visit me at christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact to send me an email to my inbox. Bible verse for meditation: KJV 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. NABRE 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: The Book of John represents a higher representation of Jesus. The birth of Jesus represents the coming of the light. The Word, being Jesus Christ, was from the beginning. The birth of Jesus is the coming of the Word into this world which chased out the darkness. It was this action 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: During the time when Mary was pregnant with Jesus she went to visit Elisabeth. Luke doesn't say exactly why Mary visited Elisabeth but it was when Elisabeth was 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary was not as far along her pregnancy and it seems possible that she was doing it to avoid others discovering her pregnancy further demonstrating the shame Mary had to endure for carrying the Son of God. I really love this scripture because it speaks of spiritual conviction which comes through the Spirit. Not only this but John the Baptist, who was a baby in Elisabeth's belly, recognized it. This is one of the first witnesses of the Divinity of Jesus. Both women and children were not considered to be viable witnesses in Jewish courts and yet here they were testifying of the divinity of Jesus. This testimony Elisabeth received through testimony of the Holy Ghost. There were many people who could not recognize the divinity of the Adult Christ, yet Elisabeth was able to feel the conviction of Jesus' divinity. Not through Angels or Visions of Glory but the spirit speaking to her heart. Similarly you and I can receive a testimony of the Divinity of Jesus and any other truth of God, through the Holy Spirit. My hope is that this same conviction that burned in Elisabeth's heart will be revived in ours as we reflect on Jesus this Christmas Season. Final Question: Final Thought: As we navigate through this life we often seek guidance. Many times there are questions we have in our lives that we ask to God. It is important to note that God is the one who determines when the answer comes but I believe that it is equally important that we put spiritual oil in our own lamps so that when we most need the answers, that we are ready to receive the answers he would provide. May we continue to humble ourselves and approach God seeking His wisdom and witness. 39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord[n] should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed[o] that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

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Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Bible verse for meditation: NIV 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me! NABRE 4 At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it. "See," he said, "now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said; "send me!" What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Sometimes I find myself wishing I could understand God's will for me better and clearer. According to the writings of many prophets God can speak clearly through messengers or any way he chooses. Sometimes we overlook the duty and responsibility that rests on these prophets. Most of them had very difficult lives where the people were not receptive to God's will. Despite this, God asked the prophets to share the message. Many of them were persecuted and killed for fulfilling their duty to God. Each of us have a role to fill in our own lives. I am not Isaiah. Nor am I Moses. I am just me, but that is still something. I can imagine these prophets wondering why God would pick them. Isaiah is very disturbed to find what the Lord is asking of him. He feels unworthy. In Moses' account he also states his inadequacies. Both of these accounts have an underlying theme of why me. As we go through our own rough periods, this question can easily come to the surface. The simple answer is, why not me. God does not seem to intend on saving us from hardship. Jesus didn't choose someone else to save us all despite how much he feared drinking from the bitter cup of his duty. So it can be with each one of us. Our goal then of course is to navigate the challenges of life well. There is no problem to have a desire to avoid hardship and pain for ourselves and others. It is not reasonable to expect complete success in this goal though. What God does tell us though, is that he will walk with us in the most trying times and he will never stop loving us and he never wants us to give up trying to do his will. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: Final Question: What is a way that you can respond to the call of God? When challenges come our way, when we feel overwhelmed we can realize that with God's help, we can do hard things. Instead of wondering why these things happen to us, we can ask ourselves what the next step forward is realizing that it won't defeat us. I pray that we can have the clarity and help Isaiah received and stand up and say. "Here am I. Send me." FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: KJV 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. NRSV 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Throughout Christian history the first Sunday in December has marked the beginning of Advent which is a Latin word which means "Coming." Not only does it represent the Birth of Jesus and his coming into the world but we also can celebrate his coming into our hearts. Many people focus on hope during the first week of advent. It is appropriate that the Christmas season follows Thanksgiving. This feeling of gratitude can carry through our whole Christmas season and help us feel the hope and joy of the Gospel. If God has been good to us as we realize our blessings we learn to trust that he always has and always will be good to us. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given. His name is wonderful. Gratitude is the purest form of Hope. It is a hope free of expectations. I think many people realize that we could be more grateful Instead of looking at gratitude as one more thing we know we should do and feel guilty that we don't do it well enough let me rephrase it. Gratitude can be more deeply felt as we learn to enhance passing feelings of enjoyment of the world around us. The Book "Hardwiring Happiness" By Dr. Rick Hansen shows a tangible way to do that. Throughout the day whenever you notice even the smallest thing that brings you joy. Spend 15-30 seconds really living that happy feeling. As you do this it creates a habit of finding joy and you can stay in that feeling for longer. This can form the basis for genuine gratitude. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Details: "Hardwiring Happiness" By Dr. Rick Hansen Final Question: What is a way you can increase your gratitude? As you continue to find ways to experience genuine and lasting gratitude it becomes a habit. You can experience the hope and faith in God's blessings in your life, and feel more happy. God doesn't ask us to shower him with gratitude because he needs that. He knows that this is yet another way to bless us. As we learn to rejoice in what He has given us, we can feel lasting peace and happiness in His creation. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Bible verse for meditation: ESV 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. KVJ 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: As I have walked many sad paths with those people I visit, I have found gratitude to be the most meaningful way of finding joy. Gratitude for all things helps This scripture was recommended to me by someone who emailed me through my website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com/contact. I really love it. It summarizes a very powerful message. Regardless of our own failings, weakness and desire to sin, God can inspire our minds with clarity so that we can take action. As we take action consistent with His spirit we can be worthy. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Final Question: When is a time where you have most felt the Love of God? Very few people are given a glimpse into heaven. Perhaps this is a blessing because then our hearts would constantly yearn to feel more of that love in this life. Fortunately or unfortunately, most of us rely on faith. As we learn to live with God and open our hearts in faith to Him, we can feel touches of this in this life until we can proclaim as this scripture does that we would willingly serve as the most lowly servant in heaven just to be able to spend time with him. As we ponder how wonderful this will be we better understand the love of God. He invites us to have all that He has. I know from so many different interactions, that when we die we will finally understand how much he loves us. We will see those we love and we will see God and be caught forever in His love. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: Luke 17:12-16 KJV 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. NABRE 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met [him]. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" 14 And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: In the United States we celebrate Thanksgiving this week. I find it so meaningful to have a day dedicated to giving thanks. The man in this scripture was grateful for being cleansed of a horribly disfiguring disease. Although horrible leprosy only has reach on people during this life. What each of us have been offered by God is far greater. We have been offered redemption from all that is wrong inside of us. Each fault, flaw, and sin we have can be redeemed and corrected. God's great plan for us is to heal us as he healed this leper. Gratitude is a huge missing link the counseling work that I do. As we let go of our own need to control outcomes, as we learn that we can be happy even when our own expectations are not met, we can find ourselves asking: How can we keep hope for happiness alive? The most profound answer to this question is Gratitude. Spend more time in gratitude and your life will become more joyful almost without exception. So as you reflect on what you are grateful for this week, in addition to all the amazing physical blessings, like his words in scripture, more meaningful still is the mercy he offers 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Final Question: What Is something you can do to focus more on gratitude? Sometimes when we read this story we think how the other lepers were ingrates. They didn't show Jesus enough gratitude. It seems that Jesus was teaching in this scripture is the natural inclination of people to not show gratitude, and that includes us. Try and catch yourself as many times as possible in an attitude of gratitude to God for his infinite gifts to you and me and may we be able to employ them to help us take part in his great work. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: NIV 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. KJV 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: A perplexing fact of spending so much time near the veil between life and death is that people catch glimpses to the other side. When I worked in the hospital people would tell me of what they experienced when their body was temporarily dead. I head things that had never been told to another living person. Now in my work in hospice I see people reaching out to people who can't be seen. Just this week I watched as a man who is preparing to transition to the next life through death spoke to beings that I couldn't see. This has spurred my interest in learning more of the near death experiences of others. One thing that I have head is that as the spirit leaves the body that the person is filled with peace. As the approach the light, that is God, they experience a profound and inexplicable love. Many people are changed by this experience with such pure and incomprehensible love. When I read things like this scripture I reflect on this experience of love. Even moments with God are better than a lifetime on this earth without him. The most glorious thing of all is that we don't have to choose. God has offered us a seat in His kingdom. Because of the the Love of God we have been made joint heirs with Christ. He will not withhold any good thing from those on whom His Spirit dwells. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Final Question: When is a time where you have most felt the Love of God? Very few people are given a glimpse into heaven. Perhaps this is a blessing because then our hearts would constantly yearn to feel more of that love in this life. Fortunately or unfortunately, most of us rely on faith. As we learn to live with God and open our hearts in faith to Him, we can feel touches of this in this life until we can proclaim as this scripture does that we would willingly serve as the most lowly servant in heaven just to be able to spend time with him. As we ponder how wonderful this will be we better understand the love of God. He invites us to have all that He has. I know from so many different interactions, that when we die we will finally understand how much he loves us. We will see those we love and we will see God and be caught forever in His love. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: NRSV 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ESV 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Fasting is something that is used in some faith communities and not in others. In these moments consider how fasting is represented in the scriptures. How is it represented in your life? The Scriptures show the effects of fasting. The Apostles were guided at times by fasting like in this scripture. They received guidance for their missionary efforts. That is something we can do as well as we attempt to share the word of God and bring people to Christ. At other times Jesus recommended fasting as a means of strengthening the power of the Apostles like when the failed to cast out the devil he stated "this kind cometh not out but by prayer and fasting." It appears that Jesus was teaching them that they would be more able to draw on the power of God by fasting. In episode 75 we talked about how the temptation of Jesus occurred during his fast. Fasting in and of itself introduces physical challenges. It is hard to overcome our appetites. In fact this kind of control over our desires can be applied to many areas of our lives. When we feel strong urges we can learn that we can control them. Fasting gives us a laboratory for learning to overcome our physical urges. Fasting can train us to rely on God and draw near him to overcome the things of this world. Spend some moments in reflection on 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Final Question: Have you applied fasting in your spiritual routine? Since each person has unique physical needs and challenges I would suggest asking your doctor before you fast since it can be very harmful for some people for example people with diabetes. However if you are healthy enough for fasting there are various ways to perform a fast. I would recommend that you start with with short fasts. Perhaps a meal or two. At the beginning of your fast you can have a deep and personal prayer with God explaining what you hope to experience with this fast and your dedicated purpose. When you feel your body's strong urge to eat and at other times. When you break you fast offer a prayer and talk to God about how it went again dedicating the fast to a specific goal and consider if you have been blessed by the fast. If you are healthy enough for fasting it can be a powerful way to connect with God. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: NIV Psalms 46:9-11 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. KJV 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: I love this scripture. Be still and know that I am God. It's message is so profound. I was talking with Carter this week and he brought up this scripture in our conversation. I thought I had covered it previously because of how much I love it. When I found that I hadn't covered it I was touched deeply in my heart in that unmistakable way that I have come to recognize as the spirit of God moving in my heart. What I believe that means is that we need this scripture right now. Many times we feel great exhaustion when we spend so much mental and spiritual energy fighting the good fight. We weary ourselves in this effort. We find ourselves stressed fearful and downright exhausted. He will end all wars, this includes the war in our hearts. He breaks the weapons we use in war. When we have done all we can and it is not enough to overcome, we can Be still and know that He is God. He existed before the formation of our universe, he existed before our galaxy, before humans lived on earth. He will be exalted for all time and beyond. And what is even more miraculous than that is that he has stated that he wants to be with us. The Lord of Hosts is with us. Be still. Know that He is God. Open your heart to Him so that you can feel that the Lord of Hosts is with you, right now. 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: Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Final Question: How can you be blessed by being still? Our lives are not meant to be universally easy. Above that, we are not meant to be still our whole lives waiting for God to do His work. In the scriptures he lovingly invites us to participate in his great work. I am humbled by this because I know so many of my weaknesses. Despite this, we go to work in his vineyard as best as we can. When we get stuck we can trust that he is the one who carries us. We can rely on him in faith. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: Matthew 4:1-4 KJV 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. NRSV 4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: My New Testament professor pointed out to me the important placement of the temptation of Jesus. She lamented the chapter selection that separated the preceding verses. Matthew chapter 3 talks of the Baptism of Jesus. Interestingly the last verse right before these ones here says 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." The time of great temptation in the life of our Savior was not due to his weakness but rather due to his preparation and ability to progress beyond it. Later in chapter 4 Jesus calls his Apostles. How interesting that he is baptised, then tempted, then he overtly kicks off the organization of the church. What I have noticed is that when I make attempts in my own life to make spiritual progress, that is when I am most severely assaulted with temptation. Our common enemy can sense future progress. For this reason he assails us even harder before times of great growth. Ironically it is this very temptation that gives us a context for observing the mercy of God and learning how to trust in him and overcome it. I love how Jesus is quoting his own words to Satan. Deut 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. This scripture similarly shows that it is our great need that both tempts us and prepares our hearts to learn from the hand of God. Temptation is not punishment but an opportunity to grow. When we are tempted we can reach out to God and feel a deep gratitude for his mercy and willingness to help 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. Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Final Question: How can you change the way you perceive temptation? When we are tempted, we can reject the ideas in our minds that this demonstrates weakness and place or faith squarely on God's word. He has caused our great hunger so he can feed us mana and teach us to trust in him. Jesus Christ himself showed us that to be tempted is to learn to overcome. We can follow his example by truly absorbing the scriptures in our hearts so that they can be a defense. I have a humble hope that this podcast can do just that for you. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: Luke 1:11-13 KJV 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. NIV 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: John the baptist was considered a great prophet. He became very influential in preparing the hearts of many people to receive the message of Jesus as the lamb of God. Jesus himself showed spoke of how important John was. He was so important that his birth and naming were declared by the voice of an angelic visitation to his father Zacharias. He doubted the proclamation of the angel and was made to not be able to speak until he wrote out that his Son's name would be John, as stated by the angel. Despite the great plans that God had for Zacharias in the form of his son, this didn't mean that he was ready to live the plan God had for him. Also it didn't mean that John's life would be easy or that the life of His parents would be great. It did however mean that God had a plan for them, as he does for us. Zacharias was doubtful about the declaration from the spirit. Despite having a prominent religious position, he was not ready to receive God's will. This unwillingness was accompanied by a shortage of faith. It is quite interesting that God shows us in this scripture that despite what role we have in His church, or despite what we know or can do, if we are not trusting in God then we can miss the blessings that he has lined up for us. Humility and faith can work together to help us overcome. God certainly has a blessed path for each one of 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. Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Sue donated on Patreon and selected the scripture. Thanks Sue! Final Question: Has there been a time when you missed Gods plan for you? Each and every one of us have a life that allows us to learn and grow. The blessings and challenges we face can benefit for us if they draw our hearts to God and help our faith develop. As you have felt peace in your life during this meditation you have felt God's spirit. As we let God's spirit reign in our life we can experience joy regardless of what happens in our lives. Life is always improved as we trust God and trust his word for us. I encourage you to trust in God and as we do this we will be more aware of the blessings of God. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: 1 John 4:4-6 NIV 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. NRSV 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: This scripture is in the context of an Epistle of John teaching his audience how to identify good spirits. The guiding influence in that determination is based on faith in Jesus Christ. Spirits aligned with God, acknowledge that Jesus was and is the Messiah. In this sense faith in Jesus as the savior is permanent. With that said now comes this scripture which states that God has overcome the world. This includes spirits. The way in which this scripture meets where we are at is shown in the scripture. As we take the name of Jesus upon us through faith, repentance, baptism, and by receiving his spirit, he is with us. His spirit resides in us. As this is true, how can we fear anything in this world? If God is with us, who can be against us. Despite this understanding there are times when we feel fear. There are times when we let our human emotions run wild and we become afraid. There are so many things we can grow to fear. Everything from death, to social rejection, to financial matters. Fear is a normal human emotion. I don't think that it is helpful for us, when we feel fear to pile on guilt for not having faith, but I do think it can be instructive and even faith promoting to recognize that fear is a human emotion and a normal weakness common to all of us. This scripture teaches not only how to be more discerning and wise regarding the truth of God but also how to overcome fear. If we recognize that God is with us while also recognizing that fear is a human emotion we can learn to not let its distracting effects overcome 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. Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Sue donated on Patreon and selected the scripture. Thanks Sue! Final Question: How does the knowledge that God is in you help? Final thought - Many people who have reached out to me talk about stress. What is stress if not a pervasive form of fear. In this moment know this, God is greater than any struggle you are dealing with. He is more powerful than any spirit on earth. He is more powerful than any hardship. He is great. If we learn to continually be sensitive to His spirit within us then we can receive power to overcome fear and have it be replaced with faith. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

This is a continuation of episode 38. Feel free to listen to that one first then this one if you want continuity. Bible verse for meditation: 1 Corinthians 13:3-7 NIV 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. KJV 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most profound scriptures on love. In Episode 38 I covered the first three verses. We can't be what we truly are meant to be if we don't have love in our hearts. Love is the center of the two greatest commandments: loving God and loving each other. This scripture points out some important aspects of how to love and things that get in the of our love. It is easy to see the the connection between kindness and love. If we can learn to be kind with a heart open to love this is an important step in learning to love more deeply. As we love and attempt to love we inevitably experience difficulties and challenges. If we express patience we can overcome ourselves to draw near to each other and God. Pride and envy can turn our hearts away from even the desire to love. As we let go of these feelings we are more able to love. A concept that is falling out of fashion in today's world is honor. With a Godly focus honor is a powerful aspect of a Christian walk. We can honor each other and those we love by being loyal and faithful to them. A Christian life is an honorable one. We can honor each other as children of God. Even as we feel wronged, we feel anger at real and perceived disrespect. And we don't keep track of the faults of others. Above all our hearts rejoice in truth and reject evil. Rejoices in truth 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. Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Sue donated on Patreon and selected the scripture. Thanks Sue! Final Question: What principles do you hold to on the sabbath? Final thought - As we spend time with God's spirit we feel his calm and peace. This is even more possible when we spend time to reflect on His word and dedicate time to Him. In this framework we can see the sabbath as the greatest gift of God. If we dedicate this day to worship and peace, it can help us draw nearer to him. Over the next couple days perhaps you can consider how you can better harness the sabbath in your worship to help you draw nearer to God. Consider things like avoiding unnecessary work, or causing others to work unnecessarily. Ultimately though, God loves us. He created the sabbath for us and not the other way around. We can be thoughtful on how best to benefit from this gift, by drawing nearer to Him. I know that as we do this we can be more sensitive to His spirit. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist

Bible verse for meditation: Mark 2:23-28. NRSV 23 One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26 He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions." 27 Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." KJV 23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. What does this scripture mean to you? Has it had a different effect this reading as compared to times past? How does this scripture make you feel? Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning. Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: In the Old Testament, God placed serious focus on establishing the sabbath day. From the creation of the Earth, God established the sabbath. Exodus 20 shows that one of the ten commandments is even to keep the Sabbath day holy. Not only that but this command extended to servants and evern animals. In the law of moses the consequence for not honoring the sabbath was death. In Numbers 15 a man was put to death for collecting sticks on the sabbath. In Isaiah 56 the keeping of the sabbath was a sign of the covenant which was also correlated to the temple. Even the blessing of manna from Heaven, which was from God, conform to the sabbath during the 40 years the Israelites stayed in the desert after the exodus. Suffice it to say that the sabbath was not made light of by God. It is understandable then, that the Jews would want to honor the Sabbath. They attempted to take the scriptures and determine very specifically what it means to honor the sabbath. When Jesus came healing with the Power of God on the sabbath, this appeared to violate God's law. This example is yet another example of it when his disciples picked and ate the food on the sabbath. Jesus taught that he was fulfilling the law of Moses. We should not take this to mean that the sabbath is no longer important to him. Some people have suggested that the translation of the above scripture states that the sabbath was created 'on account of' us. In other words, God knew what we needed and established his holy day of rest for our benefit not as another punishment. As Christians we can experience deeper knowledge of God and greater connection with Him by honoring His holy day. He longs to be closer to us in our lives, and the sabbath is an amazing opportunity to do just that. How do you weekly activities align with God's concept of the sabbath? Take a few moments to reflect on this message and how it applies to your own life. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials. Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life: Sue donated on Patreon and selected the scripture. Thanks Sue! Final Question: What principles do you hold to on the sabbath? Final thought - As we spend time with God's spirit we feel his calm and peace. This is even more possible when we spend time to reflect on His word and dedicate time to Him. In this framework we can see the sabbath as the greatest gift of God. If we dedicate this day to worship and peace, it can help us draw nearer to him. Over the next couple days perhaps you can consider how you can better harness the sabbath in your worship to help you draw nearer to God. Consider things like avoiding unnecessary work, or causing others to work unnecessarily. Ultimately though, God loves us. He created the sabbath for us and not the other way around. We can be thoughtful on how best to benefit from this gift, by drawing nearer to Him. I know that as we do this we can be more sensitive to His spirit. FIND ME ON: iTunes Facebook ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Youtube Twitter Pintrist