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1 Hr of Relaxing Bible Stories With Ambient Music for Stress Relief Christian Meditation For Sleep - Abide Meditation App · Abide Meditation App

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  Speaker 1: Welcome and thanks for meditating with Abide. I hope that
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  Speaker 1: you find rest and deep sleep as you listen to
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  Speaker 1: this Bible reading from the Book of Psalms. For more
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  Speaker 1: Christian meditation, download the Abide app in the iTunes or
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Google Play store.
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  Speaker 2: Welcome to our bedtime story tonight. You will be listening
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  Speaker 2: to a fictionalized account of the day the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 2: came upon the people gathered in the Upper Room in
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  Speaker 2: Jerusalem from the eyes of the newest chosen Disciple, Matthias.
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  Speaker 2: The story is taken from Acts chapter two. As you listen,
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  Speaker 2: I want you to relax into your bed, breathe deeply
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  Speaker 2: and slowly, and let go of the stresses of your day.
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  Speaker 2: Focus on relaxing the muscles in your neck, your back,
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  Speaker 2: your torso, your legs. This will be a story about
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  Speaker 2: the power of the Holy Spirit to change people's lives.
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  Speaker 2: Release your tension, keep breathing deeply, and allow yourself to
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  Speaker 2: be calmed by this story. Let me pray, Father God.
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  Speaker 2: We come to you tonight in anticipation of what you
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  Speaker 2: will show us through this story of your gift of
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  Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit and the building of your Church. We
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  Speaker 2: look forward to sleeping soundly tonight, knowing that we are
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  Speaker 2: in your care and that your spirit lives inside us.
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  Speaker 2: The way you choose to use normal people like me
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  Speaker 2: who have flaws is amazing. Your power is made perfect
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  Speaker 2: in our weakness, and we lean on the strength of
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  Speaker 2: the Spirit in our lives. Continue to guide us and
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  Speaker 2: lead us in the name of the Cornerstone Jesus. Amen,
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  Speaker 2: Let's now begin our sleep story. It was the feast
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  Speaker 2: of weeks, the end of the harvest. Jerusalem was crawling
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  Speaker 2: with Jews from all over the known world. Yet Matthias
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  Speaker 2: sat with the other followers of Jesus in the upper room,
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  Speaker 2: still in shock over the events of the previous days
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  Speaker 2: and afraid yet anticipating something. Jesus words were always a
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  Speaker 2: little confusing, but he had told them specifically to stay
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  Speaker 2: in Jerusalem and wait. So here they were praying, talking
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  Speaker 2: about the things Jesus had taught them, such memories. As
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  Speaker 2: they were eating this meal together, Matthias couldn't help but
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  Speaker 2: remember the two times Jesus had fed huge crowds with
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  Speaker 2: just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.
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  Speaker 2: What a miracle. His mind went back to that day
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  Speaker 2: on the mount. There had to have been at least
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  Speaker 2: five thousand men there, but they had been tired and hungry,
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  Speaker 2: and one little boy had some small and a couple
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  Speaker 2: of fish for his lunch. Watching what happened that day.
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  Speaker 2: Now everyone ate their fill, and there was still more
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  Speaker 2: left over still brought a thrill to his heart. Their
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  Speaker 2: stomachs had been filled, but so had their souls, like
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  Speaker 2: they were every time Jesus spoke to them, Love your enemies,
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  Speaker 2: seek first to God's kingdom. Serve one another, and that
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  Speaker 2: time the chief tax collector had turned from his evil ways.
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  Speaker 2: Tears came to Matthiah's eyes as he remembered that time.
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  Speaker 2: Seeing Zechis now was such evidence of God's power. Scenes
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  Speaker 2: flashed through his mind as he sat with his friends
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  Speaker 2: the blind. Jesus had healed the lame who had walked
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  Speaker 2: the leper. They couldn't believe it when Jesus had reached
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  Speaker 2: out and touched the leper and he was healed. Praise
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  Speaker 2: be to God. What they had witnessed when Jesus was
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  Speaker 2: with them was amazing. Matthias could hardly wrap his mind
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  Speaker 2: around all that had happened. He thought of their friend Lazarus.
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  Speaker 2: They couldn't understand why Jesus had waited to go see
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  Speaker 2: Lazarus when he knew Lazarus was so gravely ill. When
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  Speaker 2: they had finally gone to Bethany, Mary had been so upset.
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  Speaker 2: If you had been here, my brother would.
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  Speaker 3: Not have died.
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  Speaker 2: She had wept, and Matthias remembered how Jesus had wept too,
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  Speaker 2: And then again tears filled Matthias's eyes at the memory.
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  Speaker 2: Lazarus come out, he had called, and that heart stopping
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  Speaker 2: miraculous moment had happened. Lazarus had been raised from the dead.
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  Speaker 2: What power, What awesome, amazing power Jesus had. As Matthias
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  Speaker 2: looked around the room, he only had thankfulness in his
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  Speaker 2: heart that God had chosen him to fill judas spot Judas.
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  Speaker 2: Matthias thought about his friend, the man he had traveled
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  Speaker 2: with for three years. It made him sad, even though
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  Speaker 2: he knew it had to happen. Jesus had said it
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  Speaker 2: was to fulfill scripture. Still it made him sad to
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  Speaker 2: think about the choices Judas had made, but that was
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  Speaker 2: in the past. Matthias took the bread that Peter handed him,
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  Speaker 2: still warm from the stone. The warm sin made his
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  Speaker 2: stomach rumble. He looked at Peter and thanked him, noticing
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  Speaker 2: the peace that seemed to flow from him. Now encountering Jesus,
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  Speaker 2: we'll do that for you. He looked around at all
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  Speaker 2: the people.
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  Speaker 3: In the room.
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  Speaker 2: Mary Jesus Mother, with all the sorrow she had seen,
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  Speaker 2: she still looks peaceful. Jesus brothers, a little late to
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  Speaker 2: the game, but ready to face whatever came next. Peter
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  Speaker 2: the leader, of course, so full of grace after his
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  Speaker 2: sea side encounter with the Lord John James, and Andrew Philip,
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  Speaker 2: and Bartholomew Thomas, who had doubted Matthew and all the others,
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  Speaker 2: and the women, how Jesus had honored them. Matthias was
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  Speaker 2: just about to take another bite of his piece of
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  Speaker 2: bread when a silence fell over the room. Everyone paused,
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  Speaker 2: looked a little confused, and glanced around at each other. Slowly,
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  Speaker 2: those who had been standing sat down. A rumbling started
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  Speaker 2: under their feet. They didn't understand it. Someone gave a
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  Speaker 2: short cry, and then a mighty, rushing wind filled the
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  Speaker 2: entire room. It swept into every corner of the house
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  Speaker 2: where they were gathered. Before anyone could even exclaim or
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  Speaker 2: ask what is going on, what appeared to be flames
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  Speaker 2: of fire entered the room, and like many tongues touched
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  Speaker 2: each one of them, but DIA's felt a burning in
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  Speaker 2: his soul he had never felt before. He stood trembling,
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  Speaker 2: looking around in amazement at the others. Fire and then peace,
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  Speaker 2: and just like that, the flames swept out of the
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  Speaker 2: room and it was silent again. And then seconds later,
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  Speaker 2: joyous laughter and a sound that they had never heard
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  Speaker 2: before in their gathering, different languages, all coming from the
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  Speaker 2: familiar faces and in the familiar voices they had known
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  Speaker 2: for three years. Matthias opened his mouth and from his
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  Speaker 2: very spirit came a tongue he did not recognize, but somehow,
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  Speaker 2: miraculously he knew what he was saying. And then he knew.
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  Speaker 2: They all knew. The promised holy Spirit that Jesus had
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  Speaker 2: said would come.
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  Speaker 3: Was upon them.
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  Speaker 2: What Matthias felt in his heart, what they all felt,
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  Speaker 2: was a joy beyond anything they had ever felt before.
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  Speaker 2: Peter was the first to move as he rushed for
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  Speaker 2: the door, flying down the steps from the upper room
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  Speaker 2: and out in the streets filled with Jews from all
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  Speaker 2: the lands. Matthias and the others quickly followed, and in
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  Speaker 2: the power of the spirit that had come to dwell
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  Speaker 2: inside him. Matthias started speaking to people in this strange language,
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  Speaker 2: telling them of the greatness of God. On the outside,
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  Speaker 2: he heard someone say that they must be drunk, but
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  Speaker 2: he saw many others with confusion on their faces. How
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  Speaker 2: could this be? They were asking, are not all these
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  Speaker 2: men Gallileans? How do they know our language? Matthia's heart
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  Speaker 2: swelled as he spoke to whoever would listen of the
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  Speaker 2: greatness of God. And then Peter, of course it was.
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  Speaker 2: Peter stood up on a step and addressed the crowd.
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  Speaker 2: These men are not drunk as you suppose, he began.
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  Speaker 2: He then went on to quote the prophet Joel and
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  Speaker 2: to speak of Jesus, and to remind them of what
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  Speaker 2: King David had said. And as Matthias looked around at
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  Speaker 2: the faces of all these Jews who had waited and
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  Speaker 2: grown for the coming of the Messiah, he saw regret.
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  Speaker 2: One man called out, brothers, what shall we do? And
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  Speaker 2: Peter gently answered, repent and be baptized every one of
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  Speaker 2: you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness
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  Speaker 2: of your sins, and you will receive the gift of
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  Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit. Matthias watched in amazement and thankfulness as
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  Speaker 2: hundreds and hundreds of those listening followed them to the
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  Speaker 2: water to be baptized the name of Jesus. As Matthias
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  Speaker 2: watched person after person go down into the water and
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  Speaker 2: come up again as a new creation, he lifted his
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  Speaker 2: hands and praised to Jehovah. He knew that when Jesus
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  Speaker 2: walked on the earth, those same Jews had missed his message.
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  Speaker 2: He knew some of them were among those calling for
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  Speaker 2: jesus crucifixion. But his heart was not angry. He continued
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  Speaker 2: to speak to anyone who would listen, his ears not
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  Speaker 2: recognizing his words, but his heart understanding it all.
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  Speaker 3: What a miracle, What a day.
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  Speaker 2: After it had gotten dark and the crowds dispersed, the
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  Speaker 2: group gathered again in the upper room. They were laughing
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  Speaker 2: and singing and praising God. Afterwards, they estimated that three
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  Speaker 2: thousand people were baptized that day. They all agreed that
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  Speaker 2: what happened that day was not something they could have done.
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  Speaker 2: It was a work of God. The Holy Spirit, the
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  Speaker 2: comforter that Jesus had talked about, had come. He was
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  Speaker 2: the one who would give them power to be witnesses
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  Speaker 2: for Jesus. He had said it in Jerusalem and in
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  Speaker 2: all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
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  Speaker 2: Let me pray in closing, Holy Spirit, we can't do
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  Speaker 2: anything in our own strength. We are so grateful that
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  Speaker 2: you are the seal of the promise that we will
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  Speaker 2: spend eternity with Jesus, but that you also are the
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  Speaker 2: power that will help us to do what we have
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  Speaker 2: been called to do in this world today and every day.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you for all that you do in and through
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  Speaker 2: us in Jesus' name. Amen, Your eyes are closed, your
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  Speaker 2: head rests gently on your pillow. You continue breathing deeply
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  Speaker 2: and slowly, relaxing. The sound of the wind blowing eases
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  Speaker 2: your soul. You think about the dreams and visions that
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  Speaker 2: God has promised to give to his people. You long
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  Speaker 2: for that. You ask God to show you himself and
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  Speaker 2: your dreams. You ask God to show you himself and
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  Speaker 2: your dreams. I'm so glad you asked for that, says
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  Speaker 2: a far away voice.
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  Speaker 3: Come.
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  Speaker 2: You look around, wondering who is talking to you. No
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  Speaker 2: one is there, but fill a presence, a warm glow
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  Speaker 2: growing inside you. You step outside and begin to walk
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  Speaker 2: slowly down a path on one side glimmers of sunlight
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  Speaker 2: shine upon a river flowing with crystal blue water. Tall trees,
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  Speaker 2: full of life and bearing fruit you've never seen, decorate
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  Speaker 2: the bank. Brightly colored flowers of purple, red, orange, and
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  Speaker 2: pink burst through the ground. The other side of the
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  Speaker 2: path is full of flowers and trees as well, but
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  Speaker 2: there is no fruit on the trees. The flowers are wilted,
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  Speaker 2: the colors fading. Some are tangled in weeds. The river
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  Speaker 2: is stagnant. You come to a fork in the path
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  Speaker 2: and pause. You listen for the voice that beckon you
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  Speaker 2: out of bed, but there is only silence. I'm still here.
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  Speaker 2: You look up, and even though you don't see anyone,
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  Speaker 2: you realize this is the voice of God. I pour
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  Speaker 2: out my spirit on everyone, but not everyone recognizes me.
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  Speaker 2: The two sides of the path are examples of what
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  Speaker 2: happens when you believe even me, and when you try
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  Speaker 2: and do things on your own. When you spend time
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  Speaker 2: with me, listen to my words, pay attention to the signs, wonders, dreams,
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  Speaker 2: and visions I send you every day. You will survive
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  Speaker 2: every storm life brings. Every day. You will get stronger
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  Speaker 2: when you share my love with others. You will experience miracles.
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  Speaker 2: You will do great and mighty things in my name.
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  Speaker 2: God motions to the other side of the path. When
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  Speaker 2: you do things the world's way and you don't follow
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  Speaker 2: in my footsteps and listen for my voice, life is harder.
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  Speaker 2: You don't have the peace I promised. I created you
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  Speaker 2: to soar on wings like eagles. I am always blessing
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  Speaker 2: my people with signs, wonders, visions and dreams. But some
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  Speaker 2: are too busy to listen. Others have let their hearts
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  Speaker 2: become hardened. Some people have an idea of me, but
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  Speaker 2: that idea is only a part of me. They like
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  Speaker 2: to keep me in a box. They dismiss the supernatural power,
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  Speaker 2: the very nature of me. Therefore, when the rain comes
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  Speaker 2: and the storms of life hit, they aren't able to
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  Speaker 2: experience the fullness of Me within them. It is my
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  Speaker 2: deepest desire that all of my people experience the fullness
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  Speaker 2: of Me. I send them, just like I am sending
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  Speaker 2: you tonight, dreams, visions, signs, and wonders to stir their spirit.
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  Speaker 2: I want to renew your heart and revive your soul.
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  Speaker 2: I want you to walk in victory and in power.
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  Speaker 2: This is my will my purpose and my plan for you.
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  Speaker 2: You hold on to God's voice. It leads you over
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  Speaker 2: a steep hill. Mist fills the foggy air. You pause
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  Speaker 2: to wipe the dew from your eyes. You hear the
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  Speaker 2: laughter of children. You take one more step up, then
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  Speaker 2: stand still in awe. Majestic mountains surround you. People of
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  Speaker 2: all ages, colors, and nationalities dive into breath taking turquoise water.
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  Speaker 2: Their smiles exceed their faces. It's as if they are
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  Speaker 2: diving into life. They throw their heads back, laughing and
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  Speaker 2: rejoicing and glorious glee. There is a white beach. The
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  Speaker 2: sun shines brilliantly. The sand feels like silk. Children sit
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  Speaker 2: at a small white picnic table while adults read with them.
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  Speaker 2: They're shaded by enormous trees draped with Spanish moss that
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  Speaker 2: looks like tensil, hung on a Christmas tree. You reach
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  Speaker 2: down and dip your hand into the water. Instinctively, you
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  Speaker 2: pull your hand back. The water is electric powerful. It
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  Speaker 2: feels like love. Are you in heaven? You've never felt
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  Speaker 2: like this before. Love penetrates through the air. It radiates
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  Speaker 2: from the heart of every person. You feel it in
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  Speaker 2: the water. You want to stay here longer, but like
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  Speaker 2: a soft breeze, you feel yourself drifting away. You now
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  Speaker 2: find yourself in a forest full of tall, thick trees.
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  Speaker 2: There is very little light. You're on a path, but
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  Speaker 2: sometimes that path is hard to see. You squint trying
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  Speaker 2: to see through the darkness. You smell the sharp scent
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  Speaker 2: of decomposing leaves, the wetness of a recent rain. The
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  Speaker 2: gravel path under your feet seems firm enough, but not
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  Speaker 2: being able to see concerns you. You take a timid
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  Speaker 2: step forward. When you find your feet still firmly on
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  Speaker 2: the path, you take another step. Then you feel the
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  Speaker 2: presence of the Lord beside you, taking your hand, gripping
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  Speaker 2: it firmly yet gently. You can trust me, he says,
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  Speaker 2: I will not let you go. I know the way perfectly.
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  Speaker 2: I will walk with you through this darkness. I will
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  Speaker 2: walk with you through this darkness. Your heart is calmed,
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  Speaker 2: your breathing slulls. You begin to notice the light filtering
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  Speaker 2: through the swaying branches, the birds calling to each other
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  Speaker 2: through the leaves, the small yellow flower poking its way
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  Speaker 2: through the thick underbrush. God is showing you beauty where
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  Speaker 2: you thought there was just darkness. His presence has shone
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  Speaker 2: the light on this dark path. You are filled with
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  Speaker 2: peace once again. You are swept away to a green,
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  Speaker 2: lush valley. The sun shines brightly. There is a small
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  Speaker 2: stream running swiftly through the center of the valley, bubbling
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  Speaker 2: crisply over small stones. It's idyllic, brown, gray, black, and tan.
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  Speaker 2: Horses graze peacefully. There are no signs of fear in them.
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  Speaker 2: You breathe in the scent of warm grass, feeling the
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  Speaker 2: softness under your feet. You sit and wait for something,
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  Speaker 2: and then beside you is the Lord, his eyes soft
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  Speaker 2: and kind. I lead you beside streams of water. I
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  Speaker 2: provide everything that you need, he says. Bright red birds
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  Speaker 2: race by, fluttering and chittering happy. The birds of the
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  Speaker 2: field don't worry about what they will wear or what
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  Speaker 2: they will eat. They have everything they need. He turns
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  Speaker 2: and looks at you, and the kindness and love that
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  Speaker 2: you see in his eyes bring tears to yours. My
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  Speaker 2: beloved child, have everything that you need too. In the
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  Speaker 2: next moment, you find yourself back in your soft, warm bed,
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  Speaker 2: in your room, in your home, safe, surrounded by peace.
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  Speaker 2: I pour out my spirit on people, says the soft
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  Speaker 2: voice from above. I bless them with dreams and visions,
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  Speaker 2: so that they may know my love, my power, so
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  Speaker 2: they will remember my desires for them while on this earth,
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  Speaker 2: and to remind them that there is so much more
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  Speaker 2: to come. Will you share the dream I've blessed you
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  Speaker 2: with tonight? The sound of your own voice crying yes, yes,
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  Speaker 2: fills you for second. You wonder where you are. It
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  Speaker 2: must have been dreaming, but it felt so real. It
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  Speaker 2: was real, Whispers God. I made a passionate promise to
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  Speaker 2: you when I said, ask and it will be given
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  Speaker 2: to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the
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  Speaker 2: door will be opened for you. You asked me to
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  Speaker 2: show you what it was like to experience more of me,
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  Speaker 2: and I answered, now it is up to you to believe.
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  Speaker 2: You're still for a second, longer lingering in God's presence,
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  Speaker 2: basking in his love. Dear Heavenly Father, help this dear
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  Speaker 2: one sleep peacefully tonight. May you bring sweet comfort. Thank
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  Speaker 2: you for revealing yourself and our dreams. May the silence
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  Speaker 2: of the night bring revelation and clarity of thought. Rising
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  Speaker 2: in the morning, refreshed, rested. Thank you for your word,
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  Speaker 2: your passionate promises, They are a love letter to me,
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  Speaker 2: and I am forever grateful. Help me be open to
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  Speaker 2: all of your ways. God, align my will with yours.
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  Speaker 2: Help me shine your light into the world. In Jesus name,
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  Speaker 2: I pray Amen. Many people kneeled before or Jesus. In
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  Speaker 2: Mark one, verse forty, a leper knelt before Jesus, imploring,
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  Speaker 2: if you will, you can make me clean. Leprosy was
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  Speaker 2: a terrible disease, not only physically but emotionally, causing a
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  Speaker 2: person to be an outcast from his family and community.
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  Speaker 2: Imagine the scene Jesus with a crowd of people pressing
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  Speaker 2: around him, the murmur of whispers as the crowd parts
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  Speaker 2: in fear that this poor leper might touch and infect them,
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  Speaker 2: But Jesus doesn't move away. The leper in his tattered clothing,
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  Speaker 2: feeling his weakness and shame, showing every ounce of his desperation.
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  Speaker 2: His hands fall limply to the ground to support himself,
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  Speaker 2: and his eyes don't open as he breathes deeply. It
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  Speaker 2: took so much energy and faith to just approach Jesus,
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  Speaker 2: to break through the barriers of social norms, and to
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  Speaker 2: hope one more time in someone something that could help him.
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  Speaker 2: If you will, you can, He spoke. He did not
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  Speaker 2: doubt Jesus' ability to make him clean, but he did
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  Speaker 2: doubt his willingness. Would this man be willing? Does he
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: love him enough? Does he consider him worthy? Jesus responded
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: by healing him physically and emotionally. The next verse goes
• 31:05
  Speaker 2: on to tell us that Jesus moved with pity. He
• 31:09
  Speaker 2: stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him,
• 31:16
  Speaker 2: I will be clean. Jesus is moved by our needs,
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: our humility as we kneel before him. Others may walk
• 31:28
  Speaker 2: by us, not noticing us, not acknowledging our presence, but
• 31:34
  Speaker 2: Jesus is moved to feeling. Picture him stretching out his
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: hand towards you. We place ourselves before him, and he
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: stretches himself towards us. He goes beyond there. Every day
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: he moves into action towards us. Feel the soft, gentle
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: touch of Jesus on you. For this leper, it was
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: probably the first time he had been touched, that someone
• 32:16
  Speaker 2: cared enough to risk infection for a long time. And
• 32:24
  Speaker 2: then Jesus whispers, I will. He is not only able,
• 32:32
  Speaker 2: but he is willing. He wants to use his power
• 32:36
  Speaker 2: in our lives for our good. He sees us, and
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: he wants to help. And then he says those wonderful words,
• 32:48
  Speaker 2: the words we have been longing to hear. Be clean,
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: Feel the power of forgiveness, of mercy. Not only does
• 32:59
  Speaker 2: he see you, he wants to help you. Even now,
• 33:06
  Speaker 2: as you drift off to sleep, he is touching you
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: and helping you in ways you may never know. Thank
• 33:15
  Speaker 2: the Lord for his willingness to touch you to heal
• 33:19
  Speaker 2: your hurts. Feel the power the release flowing through you,
• 33:25
  Speaker 2: even now as you rest in the moment, relaxed in
• 33:29
  Speaker 2: your efforts receiving his grace. Once a mother came to
• 33:36
  Speaker 2: Jesus and knelt before him. Matthew chapter twenty, verse twenty
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: through twenty one says, then the mother of the sons
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: of Zebedee came up to him with her sons and
• 33:50
  Speaker 2: kneeling before him. She asked him for something, and he
• 33:55
  Speaker 2: said to her, what do you want. This is such
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: a tender picture of a mother wanting what is best
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: for her sons. Like the leper, it took faith courage
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: for her to come before Jesus and kneel. She was
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: probably not young as her sons were adults. She may
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: have even struggled to take such a prone position. It
• 34:24
  Speaker 2: showed her reverence for him and her complete faith that
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: he could and would do what she asked. Picture yourself
• 34:34
  Speaker 2: kneeling in front of Jesus, knowing he has the strength
• 34:39
  Speaker 2: to meet all your needs. Picture yourself kneeling in front
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: of him, wanting to ask him something, but not really
• 34:49
  Speaker 2: finding the words. What if he thinks were not worthy
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: to ask, or that it is a silly thing, But
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: if he thinks it's too big for him, or even worse,
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: that he doesn't want to do it, And then picture
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: him gently say what do you want? He wanted to
• 35:17
  Speaker 2: hear everything that was on this mother's heart. He wanted
• 35:22
  Speaker 2: her to pour out her need. Even if it seemed
• 35:25
  Speaker 2: silly to others, it was not to him.
• 35:31
  Speaker 3: He cares.
• 35:33
  Speaker 2: He invites her.
• 35:35
  Speaker 3: He invites you.
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: Unburden your heart to him, even as you take your
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: next breath, breathe it out to him. Let him know
• 35:47
  Speaker 2: your longings, and then feel your anxiety melt as he
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: takes your burdens, those unfulfilled dreams and desires. He takes
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: your burdens off your back and places them on his own.
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: He wants to know each one of them, and he
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: wants to free you from them, even if they seem
• 36:10
  Speaker 2: silly or trite. He wants to know. Feel the weight
• 36:16
  Speaker 2: taken off of you, Feel the release of tension emotionally
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: and physically. Relax because it is no longer your burden,
• 36:28
  Speaker 2: but his Relax your shoulders, your arms, your neck. There
• 36:38
  Speaker 2: is a beautiful word picture as you read further into
• 36:41
  Speaker 2: our original psalm passage. Oh come, let us worship and
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker,
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: for he is our God, and we are the people
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. There
• 37:01
  Speaker 2: are so many reasons to kneel before Jesus. There is
• 37:05
  Speaker 2: desperation like the leper. There is a love for others
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: like the mother, but the knowledge of who God is,
• 37:15
  Speaker 2: the character of God that also causes us to fall
• 37:19
  Speaker 2: on our knees. He is our Lord, and to say
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: it another way, he is our master. He has chosen
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: us to be his sheep and his pasture being cared
• 37:34
  Speaker 2: for without worry or stress, eating his lush grass provided for.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: Thank him for calling you to himself. Reflect on the
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: sweetness as he entered your life with his saving power
• 37:51
  Speaker 2: of his forgiveness, of his grace, of his salvation. God
• 37:58
  Speaker 2: is also our maker, as the person who created you.
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: He knows you because he formed you as his work
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: of art. He knows your heart and desires and longings.
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: He also knows your weaknesses, your struggles. He, more than
• 38:19
  Speaker 2: anyone else, knows what you are lacking and how he
• 38:23
  Speaker 2: can meet your needs. Picture in your mind an artist
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: painting a beautiful painting of a city. See colors and
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: parts you are drawn to. Then look around in the
• 38:35
  Speaker 2: painting and see the shadows and darkness that you maybe
• 38:39
  Speaker 2: don't really like. God painted you with beauty and shadows.
• 38:45
  Speaker 2: He wants to be with you, even in the shadows.
• 38:51
  Speaker 2: Or picture a potter forming a vase on the potter's wheel,
• 38:56
  Speaker 2: spinning around and around. Right now, it's a shapeless blob
• 39:02
  Speaker 2: as it goes around and around. His hands, firm yet gentle,
• 39:08
  Speaker 2: embrace the vase. He knows its purpose, he knows its possibilities.
• 39:15
  Speaker 2: As he places pressure in one location, he allows it
• 39:19
  Speaker 2: to be free in others, causing it to take a
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: unique shape. He knows the color glaze he's going to
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: put on the outside. But more than anything, he knows
• 39:31
  Speaker 2: the love he has felt in forming the inside. And
• 39:36
  Speaker 2: then there is the oven, the kiln where the vase
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: is baked. He knows the perfect temperature that will bake
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: the vase without breaking it. He knows how long the
• 39:48
  Speaker 2: vase needs to bake to make it strong. He's perfect,
• 39:54
  Speaker 2: and he makes things that are perfect in his eyes.
• 39:59
  Speaker 2: And the next verse, the Psalmist reminds us, for he
• 40:03
  Speaker 2: is our God, and we are the people of his
• 40:06
  Speaker 2: pasture and the sheep of his hand. We have been
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: thinking tonight of who God is, but this is a
• 40:16
  Speaker 2: gentle reminder of who we are, the sheep of his pasture.
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: He wants to care for us by providing pastures, places
• 40:28
  Speaker 2: of refreshment and rest. He has provided the place you
• 40:33
  Speaker 2: are in right now to give you rest. Close your eyes,
• 40:40
  Speaker 2: picture yourself as a sheep, intent in your pasture, content
• 40:46
  Speaker 2: in having the good shepherd care for you. Lay yourself
• 40:52
  Speaker 2: down and cuddle into the deep, lush grass. Take a
• 40:57
  Speaker 2: deep breath and listen to the stream nearby. Feel the
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: coolness of the breeze as it strokes your face. Melt
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: into the ground as you start to fall asleep, knowing
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: you are safe.
• 41:17
  Speaker 3: In his hands.
• 41:24
  Speaker 2: As we rest in his pasture. Let's talk to God.
• 41:28
  Speaker 2: Let's bow our knee and submission to him and his will. Lord,
• 41:38
  Speaker 2: we thank you that every knee will bow. We thank
• 41:42
  Speaker 2: you for the way you have met the needs of
• 41:44
  Speaker 2: those in scripture as they knelt before you, and we
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: know that you will meet our needs as we kneel
• 41:51
  Speaker 2: before you. Bless this person listening is they are one
• 41:55
  Speaker 2: of the sheep and your pasture, and that you hold
• 41:59
  Speaker 2: them in your hands. Lord, We need rest and sleep
• 42:05
  Speaker 2: as only you can give. We need refreshment for tomorrow,
• 42:11
  Speaker 2: a renewal of our spirit to do what you have
• 42:15
  Speaker 2: for us to do. We pray that even now we
• 42:19
  Speaker 2: will drift off to sleep, complete relaxation, secure in your
• 42:25
  Speaker 2: love and acceptance, knowing that you desire to meet all
• 42:30
  Speaker 2: our needs. Lord, be with us as we rest in
• 42:34
  Speaker 2: you in the name of Jesus. Amen, continue to breathe
• 42:42
  Speaker 2: deeply in and out, knowing that your maker knows all
• 42:50
  Speaker 2: about your life. Sink deeply into the knowledge that he
• 42:59
  Speaker 2: wants to bless you and comfort you and protect you.
• 43:05
  Speaker 3: Rest in his arms.
• 43:15
  Speaker 2: Lord Jesus, thank you for your love for us and
• 43:20
  Speaker 2: for the things you said to the disciples that night
• 43:22
  Speaker 2: before pass over. You were so misunderstood when you walked
• 43:29
  Speaker 2: on this earth. I pray that you would help us
• 43:33
  Speaker 2: understand more fully who you are in our life right now.
• 43:41
  Speaker 2: I pray for your child listening to this story to night.
• 43:46
  Speaker 2: I pray that you would lead them into RESTful sleep
• 43:48
  Speaker 2: as they listen. Take their burdens and their cares upon
• 43:55
  Speaker 2: your strong shoulders so they may be at peace. Amen,
• 44:07
  Speaker 2: and now to our story. Nathaniel looked around him at
• 44:14
  Speaker 2: his friends. He had spent three years walking with each
• 44:18
  Speaker 2: of them, learning from Jesus, but this had been a long, strange,
• 44:25
  Speaker 2: yet exciting week for all of them. The crowds shouting
• 44:29
  Speaker 2: in praise to God as Jesus rode that donkey into Jerusalem.
• 44:37
  Speaker 2: That was amazing. Finally people realized who Jesus is. But
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: then there was that weird plot by the chief priest
• 44:49
  Speaker 2: to have Lazarus killed.
• 44:53
  Speaker 3: What was that all about?
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: Why couldn't they just rejoice that a man who had
• 44:59
  Speaker 2: been dead was brought back to life. Their meal was
• 45:05
  Speaker 2: drawn to a close and everyone was relaxed, reclining at
• 45:10
  Speaker 2: the table, talking softly. Occasional light laughter could be heard.
• 45:19
  Speaker 2: Nathaniel looked at each of his companions, thankful for them.
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: Then he noticed Jesus looking at each of them as well.
• 45:28
  Speaker 2: There was such great love, but also some sadness in
• 45:32
  Speaker 2: his eyes. As Nathaniel watched, Jesus slowly got to his
• 45:39
  Speaker 2: feet and took off his outer robe. What is he doing,
• 45:44
  Speaker 2: he wondered. Jesus then walked over to a cupboard sitting
• 45:49
  Speaker 2: against a nearby wall and took a picture of water,
• 45:53
  Speaker 2: a stone basin, and a towel from the cupboard. Wrapping
• 45:57
  Speaker 2: the towel around himself, he returned to the table, knelt
• 46:00
  Speaker 2: down beside Andrew, who looked as startled as everyone else,
• 46:05
  Speaker 2: and took off Andrew's sandals.
• 46:10
  Speaker 3: There was a.
• 46:11
  Speaker 2: Collective gasp in the room. They had all washed their
• 46:15
  Speaker 2: hands before the meal, as was required, but they had
• 46:19
  Speaker 2: been walking all day. Andrew's feet were filthy. He started
• 46:26
  Speaker 2: to draw them back, but Jesus pulled them gently toward
• 46:30
  Speaker 2: the basin and began.
• 46:31
  Speaker 3: To wash them.
• 46:35
  Speaker 2: Tears filled Nathaniel's eyes as he watched. He wanted to protest,
• 46:42
  Speaker 2: but he knew that Jesus never did anything without reason,
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: but this just seemed so wrong. Moving on to James,
• 46:55
  Speaker 2: and then John, and then Matthew. Jesus continued to take
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: off their dirty sandals and wash their grimy feet, drying
• 47:06
  Speaker 2: them with the towel around his waist. There was more
• 47:10
  Speaker 2: than one man in tears now. When Jesus came to Peter,
• 47:15
  Speaker 2: he the impetuous one, said to Jesus, Lord, do you
• 47:22
  Speaker 2: wash my feet? His tone was incredulous. Jesus looked at
• 47:28
  Speaker 2: Peter with great compassion. What I am doing. You do
• 47:32
  Speaker 2: not understand it now, but afterward you will understand. Peter
• 47:38
  Speaker 2: cried out, you will never wash my feet. Nathaniel didn't
• 47:44
  Speaker 2: move a muscle, He just stared wide eyed at the Lord.
• 47:50
  Speaker 2: Hadn't Peter spoken out of turn before and been rebuked
• 47:53
  Speaker 2: by the Lord. Nathaniel held his breath for Jesus reply,
• 48:00
  Speaker 2: But the Lord was kind. He simply said to Peter,
• 48:05
  Speaker 2: if I do not wash you, you have.
• 48:07
  Speaker 3: No share with me.
• 48:10
  Speaker 2: And of course, Peter, being Peter, said Lord, not my
• 48:15
  Speaker 2: feet only, but my hands in my head. Hum, Jesus chuckled,
• 48:22
  Speaker 2: knowing Peter so well. The one who has bathed does
• 48:26
  Speaker 2: not need to wash except for his feet, but is
• 48:29
  Speaker 2: completely clean, and you are clean. And then Jesus's eyes
• 48:35
  Speaker 2: turned sad again and he said, but not every one
• 48:40
  Speaker 2: of you. Nathaniel looked around at all the others in
• 48:45
  Speaker 2: the room. What did Jesus mean, he wondered. Every one
• 48:51
  Speaker 2: had washed, he was sure of it, but Jesus did
• 48:55
  Speaker 2: not stop his task. He moved on through the group,
• 49:00
  Speaker 2: finally coming to Nathaniel himself. Nathaniel thought his heart would
• 49:08
  Speaker 2: burst within him. He did not want Jesus to humble
• 49:12
  Speaker 2: himself so and wash his feet, but he let him,
• 49:16
  Speaker 2: tears rolling down his cheeks. Jesus looked at him with
• 49:22
  Speaker 2: so much compassion, and then he finished this service, got
• 49:28
  Speaker 2: up and returned the basin and pitcher, and took the
• 49:31
  Speaker 2: towel from around his waist and laid it on the cupboard.
• 49:35
  Speaker 2: Putting on his outer garment again, he sat down at
• 49:39
  Speaker 2: his place at the table. As before. Jesus looked each
• 49:46
  Speaker 2: one of them in the eye with so much love,
• 49:49
  Speaker 2: and then he said, do you understand what I have
• 49:52
  Speaker 2: done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and
• 49:59
  Speaker 2: you are right, for so I am. If I, then
• 50:03
  Speaker 2: your lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also
• 50:08
  Speaker 2: ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given
• 50:12
  Speaker 2: you an example that you also should do, just as
• 50:15
  Speaker 2: I have done to you. Nathaniel wanted so badly to
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: understand what Jesus was saying.
• 50:27
  Speaker 3: He knew from.
• 50:27
  Speaker 2: Experience that what he said could not just be taking
• 50:30
  Speaker 2: at face value. He knew Jesus meant more than just
• 50:35
  Speaker 2: washing feet. And then Jesus continued, Truly, truly, I say
• 50:43
  Speaker 2: to you, a servant is not greater than his master,
• 50:48
  Speaker 2: nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
• 50:52
  Speaker 2: If you know these things, blessed are you if you
• 50:55
  Speaker 2: do them. Many more things were spoken that night, and
• 51:03
  Speaker 2: Nathaniel treasured them all in his heart. From hearing that
• 51:07
  Speaker 2: someone in their group was going to turn against Jesus,
• 51:11
  Speaker 2: to the Lord telling them to love each other as
• 51:14
  Speaker 2: he had loved them, and then another warning to Peter,
• 51:21
  Speaker 2: a warning that he would deny three times that he
• 51:24
  Speaker 2: even knew Jesus. It was all so much to bear,
• 51:31
  Speaker 2: so hard to understand, so frightening to all of them.
• 51:38
  Speaker 2: Yet being with Jesus was the best thing that had
• 51:40
  Speaker 2: ever happened to Nathaniel. As he contemplated the foot washing again,
• 51:47
  Speaker 2: he thought he understood. If Jesus, who was the Messiah,
• 51:53
  Speaker 2: could stoop so low as to wash their grimy feet,
• 51:57
  Speaker 2: then there was nothing that was beneath them. They should
• 52:01
  Speaker 2: serve one another in whatever way they could, And if
• 52:05
  Speaker 2: he had to guess, Nathaniel thought that Jesus didn't just
• 52:09
  Speaker 2: mean the twelve of them who were sitting with him
• 52:12
  Speaker 2: that night. Hadn't he once before said that if they
• 52:16
  Speaker 2: wanted to be great in God's kingdom, they must become
• 52:20
  Speaker 2: the least. They must be the servants of every one.
• 52:26
  Speaker 2: As he lay on his mat that night, looking at
• 52:29
  Speaker 2: the stars, thinking about all these things, Nathaniel wondered what
• 52:34
  Speaker 2: that would mean for him. It all seemed too much,
• 52:40
  Speaker 2: and yet he remembered another conversation from an earlier time.
• 52:46
  Speaker 2: Jesus had been saddened when so many Jews walked away
• 52:49
  Speaker 2: from him because the things he was saying were just
• 52:53
  Speaker 2: too hard to hear. Jesus turned to them and asked them,
• 53:00
  Speaker 2: do you want to go away as well? Peter, who
• 53:06
  Speaker 2: didn't often say the right thing, had looked solemnly at
• 53:10
  Speaker 2: Jesus and said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You
• 53:16
  Speaker 2: have the words of eternal life, and we have believed
• 53:20
  Speaker 2: and have come to know that you are the Holy
• 53:24
  Speaker 2: One God. Yes, Nathaniel thought, no matter how hard it
• 53:33
  Speaker 2: might seem to be to all of them. He knew
• 53:37
  Speaker 2: that Jesus alone had the words of eternal life, and
• 53:41
  Speaker 2: he would do whatever he was asked to do. Dear Lord,
• 53:48
  Speaker 2: we are in awe of your love and your kindness.
• 53:54
  Speaker 2: Thank you for showing us exactly what it means to
• 53:57
  Speaker 2: be a servant. You left your heavenly throne, gave up
• 54:04
  Speaker 2: all your glory in order to come down and save us,
• 54:07
  Speaker 2: because you love us so much. As your precious child
• 54:13
  Speaker 2: sleeps tonight, I pray that you would give them peace
• 54:18
  Speaker 2: because they know that you are always by their side
• 54:24
  Speaker 2: and that you do indeed have the words of eternal life.
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: Thank you for wanting us to share that life with you.
• 54:35
  Speaker 3: We love you. Amen.
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: We hope this Bible reading brought you peace. To listen
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: to more Christian meditations, download the Abide app in the
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: iTunes or Google Play store.