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856 Take Your Sandals Off Your Feet, A Guided Christian Meditation on Exodus 3:4-6 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 Exodus 3 NIV 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. NET 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 God said, "Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 He added, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. Reflection on Scripture: Moses saw the burning bush and was curious. He turned toward the Lord. I love the way the Lord called to him. He called Moses by name twice. God called out to Moses personally by name. This scripture represents an interesting and valuable duality. On the one hand God calls to Moses in a personal way and in another he immediately turns and tells him to recognize the supremacy of God and God's holiness. God wants Moses to acknowledge the glory of God by taking off his shoes. God does not need to choose between being honored and pouring out immense and immeasurable love.  God clearly self identifies as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and at this moment Moses feels fear enough to hide his face. I think that this is the natural effect of people catching even a glimpse of the Glory of God but I also think that this is not the state that God wants us to move toward. I think he wants us to honor and respect but not fear in that sort of way.  I think there are some similarities between comparing a loved dog instead of a stray Coyote. God has lots of positive regard and profound deep love for us. He also demands that we respect His glory merits. I do think he wants this veneration with a heart full of love and gratitude. As humans we struggle with this dichotomy all throughout scripture. When we struggle and long for the pure love of God remember that God calls to you by name. He knows you and loves you. This profound and deep, perfect love does not require us to ignore the vast chasm of difference between God's perfect nature and glory and our weakened fallen human condition. Take a moment to ponder this deep and profound love that God has for you as his well known child and then turn in your heart to honor and venerate the Glory he represents.   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

Exodus 3 NABRE 1 Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock beyond the wilderness, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush. When he looked, although the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed. 3 So Moses decided, "I must turn aside to look at this remarkable sight. Why does the bush not burn up?

854 Why Does The Bush Not Burn Up, A Guided Christian Meditation on Exodus 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 Exodus 3 NABRE 1 Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock beyond the wilderness, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush. When he looked, although the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed. 3 So Moses decided, "I must turn aside to look at this remarkable sight. Why does the bush not burn up? 3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. 2 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. Reflection on Scripture: Moses had been living his life. It appears he was not very familiar with the workings of God and then suddenly God showed him something. God showed Moses a miraculous thing. Something that Moses could not understand. There was nothing in Moses' understanding that would allow him to comprehend or explain what he was seeing. It began with wonder. As he led his flock in the mountains he saw a bush which seemed to be on fire but was not consumed. Moses stopped what he was doing. He noticed the wonder. He did not create the situation. He did not make the Lord burn a bush. All he did was wonder at what he saw and he responded In our lives if we pay attention we can see the hand of the Lord, normally in much less subtle ways than for a prophet who was so central to God's plan with His children, nevertheless we get our own version of signs. The question I ponder is, am I looking for God's wonders? How often do I pass by a miracle from the Lord because I don't pause to wonder why that bush is burning so to speak. For Moses this experience was part of his call from God. Similarly you have a call from God. I don't know what yours is, perhaps you know and perhaps you don't. One thing that is crucial… Keep looking for God in your life.  He who has ears to hear let him listen. Let us listen with our ears to what God proclaims. Those answers often come from the scriptures are we are more likely to hear them if we pray to the Lord. So let us spend time in God's word and in prayer to God. Then when we see His word fulfilled or we read a passage that rings out from beyond, turn and look at that burning bush. Respond to the voice of 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  

RSV 20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever"

852 Not Allowed To Live Forever in Sin, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:20-22 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 20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" NET 20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made garments from skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, "Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." Reflection on Scripture: In the continuation of Genesis 3 we see an incredibly fascinating issue. Eve receives her name as the mother of all humans. Additionally God clothed them, which replaced the poor example of coverage from the fig leafs. Ultimately this scripture is focused on setting up the human race for their need for the Lord. God acknowledged that the struggle in regards to the fruit, did in fact open Adam and Eve's eyes and allowed them to have knowledge of good and evil. This is the perfect concept to cover on Easter. It is an incredibly valuable distinction to make that living forever is not God's goal for us. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, God then prevented them from eating from the tree of life. If God's goal for us was only to live forever, then there would be no interest or need to stop them. God's goal is that we are eternally reunited with Him. Jesus came to earth to overcome that death, but in the context of eternal salvation. When Jesus was born, His death fit within that structure of physicality related to humanity.  Similarly for us, we need death. If we were never to die, then we would be confined to earth forever in this form. God stated without ambiguity that this was not the plan. Even worse would be for us to die without any possibility to overcome it. Jesus' resurrection overcame that hurdle. God's ideal plan for us requires us to overcome death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The victory of Easter is indirectly referenced in this scripture.  Easter is directly connected to creation and the fall. I want you to know one thing above all. God love the world enough to give up His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not die but have everlasting life. That eternal and everlasting life requires salvation from the God of the universe. I am so profoundly grateful that God loves us so much to offer that to us. Ponder on that love.  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  

ESV 16 To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;     in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband,     and he shall rule over you." 17 And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife     and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,     'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you;     in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;     and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face     you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground,     for out of it you were taken; for you are dust,     and to dust you shall return."

850 To Dust You Shall Return, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:16-19 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 ESV 16 To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;     in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband,     and he shall rule over you." 17 And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife     and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,     'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you;     in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;     and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face     you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground,     for out of it you were taken; for you are dust,     and to dust you shall return." NASB 16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." Reflection on Scripture: The effect of the fall was not fully captured in these few verses yet there are some things that are indicated. A few consequences are pointed out. These are not even described as the way things should be, just what would happen. God was not commanding Adam to sweat or for Eve that somehow that this pain was ideal, for example. God was saying what would result in life. Equally interesting to me is the fact that there are different consequences laid out for Adam and Eve. Eve's focus on the pain of motherhood and being a wife, for Adam the difficulty of feeding himself and his family with the inevitability of pending death.  They were not commanded to not feel that pain or the threat of death. There is nothing they could do to stop the things of this world. God did want for them to understand the effects of a sinful world. In fact, this pain acts a little more than a speed bump on our path bath to the Father if we have our focus placed on His path, His way, and His life, that of Jesus Christ. Yield yourself to God's path for you. Walking the path of God is what should be considered normative, or ideal. Believe in Jesus and walk his path despite the challenges of this life. That is what Jesus asks. Although we participate with other people in life,  it is God's path we need to follow. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we overcome the effects of sin, pain, weakness, and everything that makes this world less than heaven. Never let anything get in the way of keeping your ears open to the voice of the Spirit. Whoever has ears to hear let them hear.  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

NET 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life. 15 And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."

848 The Serpent is Cursed by God? A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:14-15 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 unrel axing.  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 KJV 14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. NET 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life. 15 And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." Reflection on Scripture: In this chapter the serpent is not specifically identified as Satan, the adversary, the enemy of God but in other places in scripture that link is explicitly made. Why does God punish Satan? Satan tried to take the place of God. He tried to be the one to direct Adam and Eve in opposition to what God says. He does not fully understand the plan of God. His knowledge is limited. Even if he intellectually knows what God's intent is, which it is not even clear that this is the case, he certainly doesn't understand it. An intellectual understanding of the words of God is not enough. While in graduate school some of the books I read about the New Testament were written by incredibly knowledgeable atheists. This caused me to be suspicious of their insights about the true meaning of what the Word said. Satan intended to oppose and displace God, regardless of how futile that is.  Similarly how do we approach the wisdom of God? Do we do so indifferent to God's intent and presence? Where much is given, much is expected. When we approach God's word supported by God's Holy Spirit we are more prepared to understand it. As a result we should attempt to use every resource we have, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually to draw unto the Lord and seek His riches. If we approach God's word with an intent to critique it and demonstrate why it doesn't fit with modern thoughts, we have a greatly diminished ability to be fed by it spiritually.  In all, Satan has been punished for rejecting the authority and supremacy of God. We are rewarded when we align with God's spirit and His purpose. If we choose the side of rebellion or pride we choose the side of the serpent whose head is crushed by Jesus. When we follow Jesus we take the side of the one who will crush the enemy. Use your time in meditation as a method for aligning your will, your mind, and your heart, to the Lord Jesus Christ that is the only path back to the Father. Without Jesus, we have no ability to overcome the effects of the fall of Adam and our resulting propensity to sin.  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 11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate."

RSV 11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate."

844 I Hid Myself Because I Was Naked, A Guided Christian Meditation on Genesis 3:8-10 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 unrel axing.  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 NIV 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." KJV 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Reflection on Scripture: What an interesting turn of events. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree from which they were commanded against, the scripture does not say they hid because they disobeyed God. It says they hid because they were naked. It seems like the wrong thing to be fearful that the Lord sees. God created their naked bodies. God has already seen their nakedness and yet this is the motivation for hiding from God.  Aside from the silliness of trying to hide from God, it seems the wrong reason to hide from God. It also seems like a wonderful deception for Satan. To foul their understanding of their sexual identity before the Lord quite literally. In the final day of active creation God created Adam, then as his culminating act of creation, he created Eve. In this act of creation he invited Adam and Eve to participate with Him in the act of creation of human bodies. The sexual acts that create their offspring is a literal usage of this gift for its intended purpose. Satan did not want them to develop a healthy relationship with this power. He wanted to immediately corrupt their perception. Their sexual bodies were incorrectly seen as an embarrassment before God.  Satan has waged a full fledged war against the correct perception and usage of this sacred creative power represented by their nudity. He tries to make the whole world mock, cheapen, objectify, and minimize the gift of sexuality. And on top of that, after he has done that, he seeks to heap on shame for it at the same time. God would have us reject the perspective of Satan, and the world. I believe God would prefer for us to protect the sacredness of this gift while also rejecting the shame the enemy would place upon it. Embrace the sacredness that God has put into you. Don't misuse it. Don't hide from the Lord when you fear or make errors. Let us not be in a place where God ever has to ask, where are you? Let us always seek His face, especially when we fall short, that he can redeem us.  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      

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.

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