810 For Which Of Those Works Do You Stone Me, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:31-33 with the Recenter With Christ app

810 For Which Of Those Works Do You Stone Me, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:31-33 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation ESV 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” NABRE 31 The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Reflection on Scripture: Just previous to this, as we covered last week, Jesus had just claimed to be one with the Father. According to the law of Moses this was a clear example of Blasphemy which would be punished with stoning to death. The Jews then picked up rocks to throw at him to kill him. What an intense moment full of aggression. Instead of Jesus clarifying the faulty accusation of these people answered indirectly. He did not correct them that it was not actually blasphemy if He is one with the Father. He responds about His works. He declared the good works he did and redirected the punishment of blasphemy as though his works would offset blasphemy. He then corrected that it wasn't the works for which they wanted to kill him but because he made himself God. The Irony is that Jesus was the only person who could equate Himself with God. Jesus standing before them was God. So in a direct sense it was not blasphemy. Jesus was making a statement about the intent of His works. They were meant to be a sign that He was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. They said something wrong. You are a man and are making yourself God. If It is blasphemy for someone who is not God to call themselves God it seems like an equally great sin for the people to tell Jesus he was not God, when He was. Some sort of reverse blasphemy. The takeaway for us is that Jesus is who He claimed to be. He showed His power through His works that were witnessed by so many people and he chose to show those miracles and also to use those works as a demonstration that He was. Jesus didn't need the people to believe Him but He wanted to give them enough of a demonstration to be a testimony and witness.  Jesus is our saviour and He has the power to save. Everything that he said was true and came true. Most important of all is that He is one with the Father and also something super crucial for us is the Jesus loves us enough to prepare a plan to save us and offer that salvation to us. Embrace the love of Jesus and submit and trust your eternal future to His grace. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod    

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

808 No One Is Able To Snatch Them Out Of The Father’s Hand, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:26-30 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation NASB 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” KJV 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. Reflection on Scripture: Many things came to mind reading this passage. It has so much meaning. It deals with questions that have been questioned in Christianity for a huge amount of time. Its also a bit nerve wrecking. If we are not God’s sheep it seems there is no hope for us. With that said what is the distinguishing factor on wether we are His sheep? That we hear His voice and follow Him. Yet with that said it seems to miss an incredibly important element of Grace if we feel that we save ourselves through our choice of following God. That feels off. The only reason we are even able to be considered His sheep is because the Father gave the Son us as sheep. When I sat pondering what devotional message we could pull out of this, perhaps the best thing that we could focus on is gratitude.  What profound gratitude we should feel to the loving God we have who offers redemption. I am so very grateful for that! When you ponder the offer that He gives it should fill you with gratitude. He offers eternal salvation and forgiveness from a profound grace in the face of our moral failure. Whatever fear you feel for not being considered one of God’s speed, you should feel equally encouraged by the profound Love that God offers. In that gratitude embrace faith in Jesus. Not a faith that he arbitrarily goes around saving people, but a faith that what He says will happen. That faith is us hearing His voice.  Nobody will be able to pluck you out of His hand. There is no secret angry Father God behind the scenes who wants to destroy you but Jesus makes that God reluctantly forgive you. There is one perspective of God, one where you are loved and he wants you to live forever in heaven. Reject fear and move toward a kind of faith that aligns with believing in Jesus but also believing him enough do follow what He says.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

RSV 22 It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me;

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

804 A Demon Cannon Cause The Blind to See, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:19-21 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation NET 19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?” NASB 19 Dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of those who are blind, can it?” Reflection on Scripture: When Jesus made audacious claims about his role and about his power, he was accused of being possessed by a demon. This was meant to be an accusation that would make his comments illegitimate. This was an attack on his divinity by accusing him of being part of the opposition. This was among the most extreme inaccuracies in the history of inaccuracies, to accuse God of being possessed by the Devil. This is not just a claim that was meant to be over the top, it was meant to discredit the true works of Jesus Christ. The logical and principled teachings of Jesus were compared to the confused evil theological ramblings of a demon.  Another thing that makes this so impactful is because evil does exist. Each of us must grapple with forces of evil acting in the world. We encounter ideas inspired by evil in public discourse and societal perspectives. It would be unsafe to assume that evil is metaphoric or that the devil doesn't really exist. It is oft repeated that the Devil tries to convince us he does not exist. But he does exist. Just as God inspires our minds with the still small voice of His spirit of peace, the enemy will whisper words of destruction, self hatred, temptation to sin and many other evil whisperings. The chatter of your mind that discourages you does not come from God. With that said it is not necessary we live in fear of that. It is a reality of the world that Satan has existed the whole time, even in moments when we feel the peace of God the devil has existed. When we feel the joys of love of family, or the joy in Grace, the feeling of victory in the Lord, the devil existed then too. When Jesus healed and performed miracles, the devil existed then too. We cannot turn down the level of the darkness, but we can look to the light and the darkness will vanish. The whisperings of the evil one are always a lie, just as they were in this scripture. Jesus is the source of true light and will always win in the long run. If we turn to the light, the darkness must flee and eventually be destroyed. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

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

802 There Will Be One Fold, and One Shepherd, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:16-18 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation KJV 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. ESV 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.” Reflection on Scripture: In a world filled with so much conflict and warring theologies, philosophies and ideologies, it is crucial to remember that Jesus declared there is one fold of God. There is only one Shepherd. He gathers His sheep. If there is any message that is needed by the world it is the words of Jesus. The world becomes more challenging as more people abandon what Jesus said, and turn their trust to other things to form their personal ethics. In the absence of the word of God as the direction humans are left to cling to whatever floating driftwood of values they find in society. Many people grasp to ideas they hear and allow those ideas to form how they see themselves. Earthly ideologies replace heavenly theologies. The truth is though that there is one Shepherd that decides what your identity is. The perspective of the world does not change that. The philosophies of the world cannot provide a better foundation for how people should exist with each other than to know we are all the same sheep. We are all lost without our Shepherd. That Shepherd is master of life and death. Jesus descended from Heaven to gather his flock. He taught powerful truths about how to live and what He expects of us. He taught us how to trust and how to seek God’s spirit. He chose to lay down His own life in the great culmination of His earthly ministry. He gave His life. He laid it down. Nobody could take it from Him. God allowed for the people to crucify Him. God allows for people to make evil choices but never stops calling for people to leave their sin. He sent his Apostles into all the world to preach the gospel because there are other sheep yet we are all to be part of one flock and all this was God’s plan from the beginning. You are meant to be united with all God’s children. Our highest priority should be to live the way Jesus would have us live, even when we exist in the world. Do not allow the sin of the world to discourage you. God will be victorious. God’s purposes will be worked even through the incorrect choices we all make on earth. Trust in the Lord and he will lead you to His heart. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod