What did you feel Ron? Just stand up, I'll just pop this microphone here so we can hear you. Stand up, just put it...
[Ron] Felt a real warmth and it looked like Jesus was standing there and reaching out His hand. I could just sort of - as Mike was just saying what he saw I just feel it coming right across into me.
[Pastor Mike] Yeah, so as I was describing what I was imagining, then it become real not just for me but also for Ron. There was a flow from heaven just came in. That's why I did it, demonstrated it this way, because if I just talk meditating I know you just - you'll nod and say yes and won't do it. I had to spend a lot of time to do that, to actually encounter the Lord personally through meditating. Now whenever I do that I just feel His presence, just is there, it's always there. He's always there, He's always good, He's always there, He always loves me, He's always willing to welcome me. He'll always pick me up, He's always there - but it took time to get the truth in. If you'll get the truth in it will change your life. Tania, won't you come and I'll just do the same thing.
Just come, just hold my hand, just stand here, just face towards me, that's right. Just hold my hand so we make a physical connection. You don't have to do anything, want you to close your eyes and I want you to allow yourself just to receive. You're just going to receive. Now I consciously have to stop thinking about her there, so all meditating is is focusing your thoughts. It's making a decision to eliminate other thoughts, so I just eliminate all thoughts she's there with me and that you're looking at me and I'll totally fix my mind that Jesus is my friend and with me. He loves me. Thank You Lord. You can take a moment or two, just begin to connect and suddenly I begin to feel His love just flowing in. She'll be starting to feel it at the same time, love of God just flowing like a river - ooh! Do you feel the presence of God? What did you feel?
[Tania] Shaky and jelly, yeah.
[Pastor Mike] Shaky and jelly, right. So meditation is how the truth gets into our heart. If we're too busy we have no time to meditate and busyness is in our heart. We have to make it a priority to get hold of what God's provided so we can stand unashamed in His presence and enjoy Him. From then you begin to change how you relate to people, the way you work with people, what you do with people. You begin to refuse to let people devalue you. There's a whole number of things you can do now to walk shame free, but it starts with my experience of the Lord, not just knowing that verse but experiencing the verse, accepted, loved, close. God is good. You can feel His presence, you'll all pretty well feel His presence now.
Okay, I want you just to finish this way then. I want you to stand right just for a moment, stand and just lift your hands to the Lord. Just lift your hands to Him. We're not going to draw this out very long, only take a few moments, be about one minute to one and a half minutes, then it's over. As you're standing there I want you just to begin to activate your imagination and we're going to imagine the truth. Most of the time our imagination's full of all kinds of other stuff, but right now for a few minutes we're going to imagine the truth. The truth is God is near to me through Jesus Christ. The truth is He loves me. The truth is I'm accepted. I want you just to picture Jesus standing right in front of you - about six foot I guess, bright piercing eyes full of love and acceptance. They're ablaze, they look right into you. Focus on His eyes. There's not a hint of any judgement - you are loved. He's full of joy, countenance shines. His arms are reached out like a friend to you because you are His friend. You've believed in Him. As you reach out to Him begin to imagine now, imagine what it feels like to be loved by Him. Feel the love just flowing into you, just receive it. If you feel like falling over there's a seat behind you will catch you. [Exhales once gently 00.55.03] receive in Jesus' name. Receive right now in Jesus' name.