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320 Where is Death’s Victory, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 with the Recenter With Christ app I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God.  By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Corinthians 15 NIV 55 “Where, O death, is your victory?     Where, O death, is your sting?”[i] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. KJV 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Meditation on Scripture: What is it that is celebrated at Easter? This scripture equates the victory of Christ over death and sin. What is that correlation? How is it that Christ takes away the sting of the grave? What is the correlation between victory over sin and the grave? Having served many families suffering after the death of someone close, it is often filled with pain. Yet here Paul quotes Isaiah saying that Death has no sting. I find mourning around death is much more intense when there is doubt about the eternal destiny of the person who has died. There is an inherent conflict in this. In my experience our human weakness is often not able to fully grasp the plans of God immediately. Even in cases when people have great faith that their loved one will be OK and is at God’s side, their absence is felt. I see this as quite different from what this scripture speaks of and feel that there is no lack of faith that contributes to natural mourning. Ultimately Christ can comfort our hearts around the suffering cause by all sources, death, sin, and even the temporary separation of the faithful. When we, in faith lay our pain at the feet of Christ, he carries it with us. We become yolked with Him.  As we prepare our hearts and minds to worship God and remember the victory of Easter, it is valuable to turn our hearts to this triumph. May we truly feel the help that Christ offers. It may not always come at once, or when we expect, but Christ can help us remain strong enough to overcome.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Updates:  Final Question: How are the sting of sin and death related? Final Thought: Easter is Christ Victory Day. It is the day we remember that Christ overcame all, including sin, and death. May we keep it in our hearts that God offers us redemption and salvation.  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod