821 Free Form Christian Meditation on Luke 2:7-9 with the Recenter With Christ app

824 Peace on Earth, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:13-15 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation KJV 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. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. ESV 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 among those with whom he is pleased!" 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." Reflection on Scripture: Jesus is the source of Peace on Earth. Peace to all people with whom the Lord is pleased and the Lord is pleased with those who receive Him. There can be peace in your life as you please the Lord. Through His love and Grace you please Him. Abide in that love. Live in that Love. Do everything you do in the name of that Love, the Godly agape love that causes the Lord to be pleased with us. Every thought should be moderated by that undying love that causes the Peace of the Lord to descend on us. I cannot imagine the thrill that these shepherds experienced. As they had a message of God's glory both preached but also shown unto them. When they heard this and saw the glory of the heavenly hosts, the wanted to share it. When we are loved in such a profound and deep way that transforms us, we should equally want to share that love. Do we receive of God's abundant love and then turn to the world in spite and disinterest? Do we hold grudges? Do we hate? Or are we inspired by the Love of God that brings peace to our lives to be able to let those human weaknesses go? At a time of year when people gather together, undoubtedly there are good and bad memories remembered but also created. My hope is that God's message of love breaks through our human experience and fills us with peace, and that this peace is poured out to everyone we know. Jesus said people could know his followers by their fruits ye shall know them. Do we live in the fruit of God's 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  

Luke 2  KJV 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.

822 Fear Not There Is A Savior, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:10-12 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Luke 2  KJV 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. NABRE 10 The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." Reflection on Scripture: Do not be afraid. So often when angels show up to humans they repeat this message. Dont be afraid. Fear seems to be something God does not want us to experience, especially in relationship with pure Glory. In 2nd Timothy it says God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. In other places in scripture it talks about fear of the Lord but this is more about deference to His glory and grandeur. We should recognize the amazing blessing that the God, who created the universe, is concerned with our life. That fear is also described as respect.  But with so many bad things happening in the world and the fact that evil exists in the world, why would we not be afraid? I love how clearly this scripture answers that question. The solution to fear is not self aggrandizement. We don't need to make ourselves feel powerful in order to overcome fear. What is the solution then? We have a savior. We have a Messiah, an anointed one who will rescue us. If we have a Messiah, what else is there to fear? We all will have bad things happen to us and eventually lose people we love. We will all die. But God has overcome the world. There is nothing to fear there. Another place in scripture that says that We shouldn't be afraid of people who can only kill us but rather fear God who can kill us and send us to Hell. Yet we have a God who has chosen not to leave that as the only option but to offer us eternal salvation. With a God who has chosen to offer us eternal joy with Him, what is there to 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 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

Luke 2  NIV 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

820 And An Angel of the Lord Appeared to Them, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:7-9 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Luke 2  NIV 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. NASB 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night.9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. Reflection on Scripture: God does not need your validation. He doesn't need human clout. The Son of God was laid in a food box for animals instead of a bassinet or crib. Jesus did not use his influence to avoid personal hardship. God doesn't need human legitimacy. He didn't send his son to a golden throne but was born during a tax audit during a time of subjugation of Gods people.  Then instead of sending word to the kings and emperors of the world he shared the news with humble shepherds. He didn't need the approval of nations and people. He had angels to declare the glorious message. I don't think we recognize this in our lives.  God doesn't need the approval of the world. He doesn't need to convince the world. He rules the heavens and has power to crush or burn the earth. He chooses to allow us to know about plans. He uses whatever means he chooses. The same applies to your life. He doesn't need our validation. He doesn't need your effort but rather we should glorify God because he is worthy of it.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

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

818 He Belonged to the House And Line of David, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Luke 2  NASB 4 Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was rbetrothed to him, and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. NIV 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, Reflection on Scripture: As we mentioned last week, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This fulfills the prophecy in  Micah 5:2  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,     though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me     one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,     from ancient times." As we read in Micah The one who will rule over Israel will come from Bethlehem. This is the city in which David was born. David was anointed to become the King and as a child fought Goliath. God chose his leader in David. Jesus came to Bethlehem in order to have a mirroring of the role of King of Israel, just as its most famous king. Jesus was to be the eternal King of Israel. He is the prophesied Messiah. The chosen one who would come to rule We recognize that Jesus is the savior of the world. Who took upon him our Sin, yet also he is the eternal King. He is the King of Kings. Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. As we honor God, let us never forget that Jesus is our King, our true ruler in heaven and for all eternity. For this reason we celebrate His birth. We celebrate the coming of the King. He is the fulfilment of prophecy. He was destined to do what he did, from the very beginning. You can trust a God who designed the universe and then after he was Done with that, created us, and also created a plan. God is way ahead of you. What is happening in your life is not a surprise to Him and it will not derail your path of sanctification if you turn to Him.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

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

816 There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Luke 2  KJV 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. NIV 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. Reflection on Scripture: With the coming of Christmas in several weeks I wanted to focus on the Birth of Christ. Luke 1 focuses on the foretelling of the birth of Jesus and the different testimonies of his divinity. Luke 2 here starts at an interesting spot. It begins with the Romans. This provides a very interesting question. Why did the Romans form the basis for the birthplace of Jesus? It seems that Jesus could have chosen to be born anywhere. He could have made it a deeply theological one as to where he was born, yet her the justification of why Jesus was born in Bethlehem came down to the decisions of Romans, who were gentiles, and were considered enemies to the people of God. Interesting that God chose to fulfill prophecy this way. Just as interesting, why didn't He prophecy something else as to the birthplace? God can fulfill his purposes any way he chooses. We can look to. Just as in times of old, he can chose any means he wants to fulfil his word. Many times in our lives we become convinced that God will only answer things in a certain way, or that good things can only come from good things. Yet God uses the oppression of his people and the respective census to begin the story. God can use bad things in our lives to drive positive change. The real distinction for what makes something good or bad, has more to do with how it causes us to draw near to God. God may have a calling for you, wrapped up in a bad package. The thing that makes it from God is that it draws you to God's light and truth.  Ponder now for a moment the different challenges you face? Might those be opportunities for your story to transition. Might they be the beginning of a story God is forming in your life. The struggle is that you will not know that until it is far too late to act. We must first seek the Kingdom of God. Pursue God and understanding will come later. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: [email protected] Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

RSV 39 Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." 42 And many believed in him there.