Apr 19, 2020

224 Lord is it Time? A Guided Christian Meditation on Acts 1:6-8

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.

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:

Acts 1:6-8
KJV
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time arestore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

NIV
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Meditation on Scripture:

From the very first moments after Jesus was resurrected the people wondered when the global salvation of the Messiah would be seen. I have heard this as long as I have been alive, that Jesus’ second coming is right around the corner. One thing I can tell you for certain is that we will see the face of Jesus within one generation but perhaps not in the way we think. When everyone living now dies they will go before the judgement bar of God and see his face. 

Many times we can be tempted to answer this question that lingers in the hearts of many Christians. Many people spend a lot of emotional and intellectual energy on trying to discover this thing that Jesus said would not be known to us. God intentional has left this question answer and yet has answered a far more important question. As the world wonders how to escape the darkness of soul caused by moral corruption there is a clear answer. Jesus. As we wonder how to overcome overburdened anxiety and conscience there is a clear answer, Jesus. We can learn how to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives then rejoice in gratitude when the gracious presence is felt and we experience God. This is what gives us a profound witness which we can share. This is our mission and goal, to share the most real form of Love in existence, the eternal and all revealing acceptance of the God of Grace. 

As we wrestle with the question of purpose, we can be encouraged by the support offered by a God more focused on transforming us into the Holy image of the God. God’s timing will prevail. Instead of heeding the normal curiosity and perhaps even anxious desperation of God’s pending coming, we can focus on the absolute and resolute answer He gives. We have a Savior who lives and will redeem us from whatever is in our way.  

As we feel the influence of the Holy Spirit our hearts can be aided in sharing the hope 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: How do we best invite the presence of the Holy Spirit?

Final Thought: I feel a lot of compassion for the anxious energy surrounding the signs of the times. I know many people who have struggled for decades with fear of the evil prophesied about the end times. Regardless of the way you understand the theology of the end times I invite you to perceive all this prophecy in the context of the illuminating Love of God. Fear is not from God. We have nothing to fear as we place our trust in the only one who is mighty to save. If you are still working on feeling God’s answer to this question I invite you to follow him. Leave the things of this world. Leave your favorite worry and anxiety. Leave your pet fear and follow the Master who claimed that he can place our burdens on Him. 

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