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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

800 I Know My Own, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:13-15 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

NIV
13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

NET
13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

NASB
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, 15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

Reflection on Scripture:

God knows you. God knows you as God the father knows the Son. Although you struggle to understand yourself, your God perfectly knows you. Do you know Him? What are signs in your life that you know Him? When you know someone it is often because you spend a lot of time with them. You spend time thinking about them. You spend time sharing interests. You spend time thinking about what they think about. You spend time wondering what they like and prefer. When I first started dating my wife I became very interested in the things that she found interesting. Her personality became a puzzle I tried to unlock. I would spend time just looking at her and wondering what she was thinking. Do we do the same with God? Do we love God as much as we love someone we begin to date?

After two decades of being happily married to my wife she is so much more known to me now, and yet, she still says things that surprise and delight me. We are often thinking similar things and we know each other’s likes and dislikes. We finish each other's sentences and we often start singing the same song at the same time, in the same key. Yet with all that said, there is no way our limited human understanding can predict everything. In some ways we will always remain a mystery to each other. But we are not a mystery to the Lord. You are perfectly known by at least one being in the universe. And with all of God’s knowledge and wisdom, with all his perfect awareness of your weakness and sin, He in wisdom, chose to love you. He chose to be your shepherd. God does not make errors. His decision to love you is not an error.

His decision to help you is not an error. He does not run when times get tough. When you encounter struggles God is not fearful and does not run away. He remains by your side and as long as you are willing to look to Him, you will find Him because He is your shepherd. I invite you to ponder on the Character of a God who has created such a complex earth, has set down irrefutable law, and yet has chosen to love you. Ponder on God now. Think of Him and get to know 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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

RSV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

NET
John 10
7 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.

776 I Am The Door, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:7-9 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.
u 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 connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Scripture for Meditation

NET
7 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.

NASB
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Reflection on Scripture:

From time to time I have seen videos of farm animals being groomed or cared for. They often have the animal secured and bound up with machinery as they do their work because the animal does not understand what is happening and is frightened. Even though the caretakers have only the best intentions and the animal will be far better off for the experience, even if there is some pain involved. The animal does not understand the long term intentions of the people caring for him or her. In that moment, all they want is to be unbound and free to run away from the hoof clipping or whatever else is happening.

They lose all sight of what they truly want in a long term sense. These animals surely have some sort of desire to be reunited with their animal family and to be able to once again enjoy the green grass and sunlight they normally get exposed to. In that moment they would throw that all away if it wasn't for a wise caretaker that allows for their momentary concerns to exist because that caretaker knows what is in their best interest.

So it is with us. In an eternal sense we have no idea what we truely want. We think about the things on earth that we want and we are like a cow caught up being groomed. We want nothing more than to escape what we see as the worst thing possible. What we don't realize is that there are things that are far worse than that. We also dont realize the path necessary to get us to those things that we truly want eternally. In this scripture Jesus declares to us that He is the Way. Jesus is the method whereby we get what we truly want deeply and longingly although we have limited ability to understand it. Jesus knows what we most want, even when we can't see it. He knows how to give it to us. If we come unto Him and trust Him as our shepherd, then we will be able to receive the finest pastures available. He is a good God and will guide us to a beautiful existence we cannot now comprehend. Unfortunately at times it requires that we are in situations we don't want here on earth. So the invitation stands. Trust Him as our shepherd. Trust that God knows what he is doing as he allows the struggles of life to challenge and try you because he knows what you will become, through 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: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

NABRE
3 When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. 5 But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.