842 Embracing God's Grace while Rejecting Satan's Shame, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:4-7 with the Recenter With Christ app

Embracing God's Grace while Rejecting Satan's Shame, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:4-7 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 Genesis 3 RSV 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. NET 4 The serpent said to the woman, "Surely you will not die, 5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Reflection on Scripture: Satan directly rejects what God taught Adam and Eve. Although in one way Satan put some truth in his lie. Their eyes were in fact opened when the partook of the fruit of the tree. Yet the ultimate point is they faced spiritual death when they ate of the fruit, which is separation from the presence of God, and they became subject to physical death. God's word was fulfilled. This scripture also begins to point out the beginning of shame. When we act in contrast to what God has told us to, we feel a conviction of our guilt from God. This can be a good and Godly influence. God's desire for us is not to retain this bad feeling and live in it. His desire is really aimed at bringing our hearts back in line with His will. He wants us to feel forgiven. He wants us to feel welcome back to his presence. So I think we should be aware of the effects of sin and seek to actively reject sin.  Satan is aware of God's grace. He knows God will forgive us when we turn to, and trust in Jesus as the source of forgiveness and salvation. He wants to actively deny that. He would prefer that we become immobilized by shame. He wants us to hide our sin from God which we will talk more about next week. Satan wants to turn our attention away from our God who longs to pour out forgiveness and guide us to overcome sin. So my invitation to you is to ponder, do you allow Satan to use shame to take your focus away from the forgiveness that God freely offers? Equally destructive is do you reject any negative emotions associated with your guilt because you feel sad about it? Rejoice in any guilt that draws your heart back to the Lord and reject the shame of the enemy who seeks to destroy your hope in a glorious forgiveness.  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    

NIV Genesis 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"

840 The Cunning Serpent Opposes God, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:1-3 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 NIV Genesis 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" NKJV 3 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Reflection on Scripture: I think sometimes when we talk about life we longingly consider how good life would be if Adam and Eve didn't mess everything up. I have heard some commentary on Genesis that says the fall of Adam is not what God intended. I find this a confusing take. God prepared his saving plan since before the formation of the world. Satan did not defeat God on the first real opportunity to do so. Satan is always trying to mess up God's plan but evil will lose. God is sovereign and all powerful. He is the one who placed the tree of Good and Evil in the garden to begin with. He did not place it a thousand miles away. He placed it in the garden. The Forbidden fruit was from the Tree of Good an evil. When Satan comes tempting you, trying to be crafty and derail your plan. Turn away and turn to God, the true source of eternal knowledge of good and evil. He is the one that makes it possible for our eyes to be opened. He opens the eyes of the blind. He takes us from our weakness and teaches us how to love Him. He teaches us how to overcome our sin. He shows us the way back to the Father and it is only through Him. When you are tempted it may seem as though God's plan is breaking down. This is not a failure of God's plan. It is a fulfillment of it. God prepared salvation for you since before your birth and before the creation of the world. God will not fail you. God's plan is never derailed by difficulty. God's plan is never derailed by our sin. God's plan will never fail. That plan includes offering salvation to those who will trust on the holy name of Jesus. Trust in the one who never fails.  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    

838 Bone of My Bone and Flesh of My Flesh, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 2:21-25 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 NABRE 21 So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 The Lord God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her to the man, 23 the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones     and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,'     for out of man this one has been taken." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame. ESV 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones     and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman,     because she was taken out of Man." 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Reflection on Scripture: The final stage of creation that God did was to create Man then Woman. Eve was the final act of creation. In our modern society we have totally lost the unity this was meant to entail. With a fallen perspective man and women are in competition for power, influence, and dominance. This was not what we were created to be. We were meant to be united as husband and wife as one flesh. Adam said bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This is the biblical basis for man and woman cleaving to each other and becoming one flesh.  I invite you to ponder what your perspective is on this? Do you embrace the perspective of the world? Do you feel that all men or women have certain characteristics that are the source of relationship conflicts? The truth is that both men and women are fallen. Many people have had such poor exposure to marriage, either parents or personally, Dont allow the fallen world destroy your perspective of what marriage should be.  Regardless of the experience you have had so far with the marriage relationships or not, know this, the world is seeking to destroy faithful families greater than any single thing. Challenge any notions that would favor one gender above the other. Yield your understanding of sexual ethics, gender ethics, and goodness overall, yeild them all to God. Trust in Him to direct you toward what God wants for 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 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 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan′u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

836 Worshiping with Fasting and Prayer Night and Day, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 2:36-38 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation RSV 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan′u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. NAB 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 38 And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Reflection on Scripture: The prophetess, Anna, dedicated her life to God. This scripture outlines her frequency in the temple as well as prayer and fasting. She was where God's presence was represented to be. As a result she was able to see the redemption of God and was able to share it. Catholics and Orthodox Christians hold Anna in reverence as a Saint. It is such an interesting micro story that is shared here. The woman is called a prophetess and it references her father as though we are supposed to know who he is. Or perhaps symbolically because his name means "Face of God" One fact that is hard to deny is that if we spend our time where godly things happen, we are more likely to encounter godly things. If we want to encounter God more in our life we should ponder on going to the places where His presence is represented for example church and making our home a sanctuary to the Lord. I sometimes reflect on the nature of this dedication. Obviously us as fallen and sinful humans don't get to decide where God goes based on what we dedicate to Him. God can choose to go anywhere God wants to go. With that said, when we dedicate places to God and set it apart, such as the Temple, we put ourselves in the kind of mind where we look for and see God more. Perhaps it is because he chooses to bless us with His presence to encourage us to do more of the things that He wants.  So the invitation stands for us to dedicate our homes as sanctuaries to God and treat them as such, not making habits of sins that would challenge that dedication. Also spending time with Godly music, and also spending time in community with others in church attendance and worship. Also making prayer and fasting a part of our process of building a relationship with the Lord.  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 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,     you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,     and the glory of your people Israel."

NIV 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,