What is Meditation?

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What is Meditation?

Kingdom Perspective

February 27, 2024 • Don Willeman

Transcript:

Hello, this Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

What comes to mind when you think of meditation? Sitting silently with your legs crossed? Trying to think of the “sound of nothing”?

Well, the irony is that as modern Western secular people, we tend to have an Eastern religious view of meditation. We tend to see meditation as emptying our minds—trying to get in touch with oneself or some impersonal force. However, biblically speaking, meditation is not emptying one’s mind but filling it with Scripture.

The Psalmist tells us the blessed man is the one who meditates upon the Word of God, day and night (Psalm 1). The Hebrew word for meditate comes from the idea of murmuring—mumbling words under your breath. To meditate is to muse, to cogitate and consider God’s Word from every angle.

Other places in the Bible connect meditation with the idea of chewing—like a cow chews his cud—repeatedly chomping, swallowing, regurgitating, over and over again, until all the nutrients are thoroughly extracted and absorbed. We are to savor every “bite” of God’s Word, so that our soul is nourished by it.

In this sense, we are all meditators—our minds are chewing on something. The only question is what we’re chewing on? Even to “veg” in front of the television or to scroll through social media is a form of mediation. We are soaking in something, and so, being shaped by it.

You are a meditator! The only question is what are you meditating on?

And that’s something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O Lord;

teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare

all the rules of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight

as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word.”

~Psalm 119:9-16 (ESV)

Fallen from Grace

May 30, 2024 • Don Willeman

Transcript: Hello this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. No philosophy or religion has a higher and more dignified perspective on human nature than the Bible. It tells us that God created us in His own image, fully righteous and holy. We were not created sinful, but good. This means that sin is an interloper. It is not intrinsic to human nature, but a corruption of human nature. It comes not from being faithful to our humanness, but from rebelling against it. When we sin, we are destroying our true humanity. God made us for covenant relationship with Himself—to be His special creatures. By trusting and obeying Him, we were meant to show forth His beauty to all creation. Unfortunately, we were not content with this. In our sin, we deemed it not good enough to be mere creatures, displaying the beauty of our Creator. Rather, we determined to be our own creators. We didn’t want to reflect God’s glory; we wanted to create our own. How foolish! This is like a mirror wanting to reflect itself! The irony of such madness is that no other creature had been given such an exalted status! We alone were made in the image and likeness of God. What more could we ask for? Yet, sadly, we were deceived and so demanded more. Thus, we fell and became less. Our humanity plunged into sin, and this sin has irreparably corrupted our human nature. As Genesis 6 puts it: 5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…. 12 for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. This infection of sin is so bad that it leaves us utterly hopeless, desperately needing the intervention of a Savior. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” ~Genesis 6:5-8 (ESV) *Below, we are appending some basic catechism questions that go along with this Kingdom Perspective. A catechism is a classical Christian teaching device, helping both children and adults better understand the unique claims of the Bible. Below, you will find questions taken from both a children’s catechism and a more advanced catechism. For the full catechisms, you may go to our website by clicking https://storage2.snappages.site/mv392j/assets/files/familydevotionalguide.pdf. Questions for Kids: A Basic Catechism for Children 21. What were Adam and Eve like when God made them? They were very good. 22. Did Adam and Eve remain good? No, they sinned. 23. What is sin? Disobedience to God’s law. An Advanced Catechism 15. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man when he was first created? When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; (Galatians 3:12) forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Genesis 2:17) 16. Did our first parents continue in the state in which they were created? Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state in which they were created, by sinning against God, (Ecclesiastes 7:29) by eating the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:6-8) 17. What is sin? Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God. (1 John 3:4)

I’m Only Human…and That’s Amazing!

May 28, 2024 • Don Willeman

Transcript: Hello this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. No philosophy or religion has a higher and more dignified view of human nature than what we find in the Bible. Yet, despite this, I find that many Christians, thinking that they are being faithful to Holy Scripture, have a very negative view of human nature. This negativity is wrong headed. The Bible tells us that God created us in His own image, fully righteous and holy—to be rulers over all God has made. We were not created sinful but good. In the words of Genesis 1:31, all creation was “very good”! As God declares at the creation of mankind: 26 …“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…. Likewise, the great King David echoes this exulted status in Psalm 8: 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet… What other creature has been given such significance! Men and women were designed to function like kings and queens over the whole kingdom of God’s creation. Secularism teaches that humans are merely the latest in a series of cosmic accidents. The Bible teaches that humans are the pinnacle of all creation. And that’s something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. Psalm 8 (ESV) 1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! *Below, we are appending some basic catechism questions that go along with this Kingdom Perspective. A catechism is a classical Christian teaching device, helping both children and adults better understand the unique claims of the Bible. Below, you will find questions taken from both a children’s catechism and a more advanced catechism. For the full catechisms, you may go to our website by clicking https://storage2.snappages.site/mv392j/assets/files/familydevotionalguide.pdf. Questions for Kids: A Basic Catechism for Children 18. How are people different from the rest of creation? We alone are made in God’s image. 19. Who were the first people that God created? Adam and Eve were our first parents. 20. What were Adam and Eve like when God made them? They were very good. An Advanced Catechism 14. How did God create man? God created man, male and female, after His own image, (Genesis 1:27) in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness (Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24) with dominion over the creation. (Genesis 1:28)

God’s Rule and Care for His Creation

May 23, 2024 • Don Willeman

Transcript: Hello this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. One of the main critiques I hear about the biblical idea of God’s sovereignty is that it makes God into a “micromanager”. No one likes someone obsessed with controlling everything and everyone! Well, good news! God has no need of being controlling. He is not threatened by you having power. He doesn’t need any power; He already has it all! As a matter of fact, when God made the world, He did not “horde” power for Himself. Rather, He gave “dominion” to humankind (i.e., Gen. 1:26-28), welcoming us to participate in His power. Genesis 2 tells us that He delegated to us the responsibility of guarding and cultivating the earth. We are not mere “puppets”, but responsible agents, sharing in His dominion over creation. But this in no way threatens God’s sovereign power or authority. God is the ground of all being; you can never completely remove Him from the equation. As the Apostle Paul puts it, God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11, emphasis added). “In Him we live move and have our being” (Acts 17). So, how does God have all power, and yet, we are responsible agents? No doubt, this is a deep mystery that goes beyond finite comprehension. All earthly illustrations ultimately break down, but maybe this one might help. Consider the difference between the will of an author and the will of the characters created by that author. The characters all have their own being and free choice within the story, but that doesn’t preclude the author superintending the story. As a matter of fact, it’s premised upon it! Each character within the story is acting freely, and yet, no character acts without the will of the author. Shakespeare is not threatened by the free actions of Hamlet; he controls them. We are characters in God’s story. Our freedom is confined by the time and space, but God, the author and sustainer of time and space, is not so confined. Something to think about—and ponder for quite a while—from The Kingdom Perspective. Job 38 (ESV) 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, 9 when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, 11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’? 12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, 13 that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. 15 From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. 16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. 19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, 20 that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? 21 You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!” *Below, we are appending some basic catechism questions that go along with this Kingdom Perspective. A catechism is a classical Christian teaching device, helping both children and adults better understand the unique claims of the Bible. Below, you will find questions taken from both a children’s catechism and a more advanced catechism. For the full catechisms, you may go to our website by clicking https://storage2.snappages.site/mv392j/assets/files/familydevotionalguide.pdf. Questions for Kids: A Basic Catechism for Children 17. What does God do for His creation? He rules and cares for it. An Advanced Catechism 12. What is the work of creation? The work of creation is a picture of redemption through Christ Jesus, with God making all things (Genesis 1:1) of nothing, by the Word of His power, (Hebrews 11:3) in the space of six days, (Exodus 20:11) and all very good. (Genesis 1:31) 13. What is God’s providence? God’s providence is His wise and absolute rule over all of His creation, including all of man’s actions, in order to reveal the glorious Gospel of His Son for His eternal glory. (Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:34-35; Ephesians 1:3-14)