Latest / Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation / No Need to Fear: Meditation from 2 Timothy 1:7 #196
Transcript
- 0:04Pastor Robert Young: Welcome to this week's Guided Christian Meditation.
- 0:06Pastor Robert Young: I am Pastor Robert Young and thank you for allowing me to be your guide on this journey.
- 0:13Pastor Robert Young: If you're new to Guided Christian Meditation, then check out Episode 164, Getting Started in Guided Christian Meditation.
- 0:25Pastor Robert Young: Episode 164 explains the why and even the science of all the stages of meditation that we practice.
- 0:35Pastor Robert Young: Today's meditation is entitled No Need to Fear.
- 0:44Pastor Robert Young: Our scripture is from 2 Timothy 1, verse 7.
- 0:48Pastor Robert Young: But first, according to scripture, God requires us to be completely involved and free from wrongful acts in mind.
- 1:01Pastor Robert Young: Body and spirit.
- 1:03Pastor Robert Young: Confession prepares the heart for being in the presence of Almighty God.
- 1:12Pastor Robert Young: Let's repeat the prayer that King David prayed in Psalms, chapter 51, verses 1 through 4.
- 1:20Pastor Robert Young: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
- 1:34Pastor Robert Young: Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.
- 1:58Pastor Robert Young: Before we start to reflect on 2 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 7.
- 2:04Pastor Robert Young: , let's prepare our mind by closing our eyes and taking a deep breath as we invite the presence of God to fill us.
- 2:13Pastor Robert Young: Now take a deep breath in for a count of seven, hold the breath for a count of five and slowly exhale for a count of five and slowly exhale for a count of seven.
- 2:28Pastor Robert Young: Let's repeat Take a deep breath in for a count of seven, hold the breath for a count of five and slowly exhale for a count of seven.
- 2:55Pastor Robert Young: Now let's prepare our bodies with muscle relaxation exercise.
- 3:00Pastor Robert Young: We will simply tense each muscle group for three seconds and then release that muscle.
- 3:07Pastor Robert Young: Remember, don't hold your breath for this portion of the meditation.
- 3:12Pastor Robert Young: Let's begin with the calf muscles.
- 3:15Pastor Robert Young: Lightly tense the calf muscles for a count of three, Now release.
- 3:22Pastor Robert Young: Moving upward to the hamstrings, quads and glutes, lightly tense for three seconds and release.
- 3:32Pastor Robert Young: Moving to the abdominals, chest and back, lightly tense for three seconds, now release.
- 3:42Pastor Robert Young: And finally, moving to the arms and shoulders, lightly tense these muscle groups for three seconds, now release.
- 4:04Pastor Robert Young: Now we can enter into worship of our Heavenly Father by focusing on Psalms 100, chapter 1 through 3, where it tells us to shout for joy to the Lord.
- 4:18Pastor Robert Young: All the earth, Worship the Lord with gladness, Come before him with joyful songs.
- 4:27Pastor Robert Young: Let's take a moment to lift up our voice in praise and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father, who is worthy of all honor and glory, by repeating Psalms chapter 8, verse 9, which says Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
- 4:56Pastor Robert Young: Amen and our spirit.
- 5:16Pastor Robert Young: Let's begin to examine 2 Timothy 1, verses 7, where it says For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
- 5:36Pastor Robert Young: So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner.
- 5:53Pastor Robert Young: Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
- 5:54Pastor Robert Young: He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace.
- 6:05Pastor Robert Young: This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.
- 6:17Pastor Robert Young: In this passage we see Paul, the Apostle, speaking directly to Timothy, the young Bishop, over the house churches in Ephesus.
- 6:29Pastor Robert Young: Along with the horrendous persecutions that was happening at this time from outside, there were also false teachers and other troublemakers from inside the church.
- 6:47Pastor Robert Young: Timothy is instructed to not let his fear stop him from doing what had to be done for the gospel, even if that meant dealing with the world or dealing with fake Christians.
- 7:06Pastor Robert Young: Notice Paul didn't say that having fear is wrong or sinful, as fear is natural and useful.
- 7:16Pastor Robert Young: He simply reminded Timothy that, in spite of that fear, God has already given him the courage, the self-discipline and the Godly love to accomplish his task for the kingdom.
- 7:37Pastor Robert Young: Fear of what's happening in our world today, fear of what we think is going to happen in our world, cannot stop us from continuing to tell someone about the good news of the gospel in a loving manner.
- 7:55Pastor Robert Young: Someone in our circle needs to hear the hope of the gospel.
- 8:03Pastor Robert Young: Let's take three minutes to really reflect on the following questions.
- 8:16Pastor Robert Young: One, have I succumbed to fear concerning current or even future events?
- 8:24Pastor Robert Young: Two, who in my circle needs to hear about the hope that is in the gospel of Jesus Christ?
- 11:53Pastor Robert Young: Picture yourself calmly engaging others.
- 11:56Pastor Robert Young: Picture yourself taking a few deep breaths before engaging yourself, taking a few deep breaths before engaging.
- 12:07Pastor Robert Young: Now, imagine the Spirit of God feeling you and empowering you to face whatever challenges that he has allowed to come before you.
- 12:30Pastor Robert Young: Repeat the following affirmation now and for the next seven days: Despite any fear, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.
- 12:41Pastor Robert Young: Again.
- 12:45Pastor Robert Young: Despite any fear, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.
- 12:58Pastor Robert Young: Our assignment, listen to this meditation daily until it saturates your soul.
- 13:05Pastor Robert Young: Find other scriptures that talk about fear and how God tells us to not be afraid because he is with us, and remember, if God is for us, he is more than the whole world against us.
- 13:25Pastor Robert Young: Amen.