00:00 Intro music and voice over.
Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!
00:20 Speaker
The word for this new season is nurture to eternity. Throughout the Bible, the Eternal One’s love story to us, there are many passages of scripture that reveal the nurturing character of God. The meaning of the word nurture has different aspects to it. These are - to nourish and care for, to teach and train and to encourage and support. The Eternal One fulfils each one.
For He is someone who cares and provides for His creation. Before He created the animals, birds and fish, He had created their home and food to eat.
Through relationships with individuals and people groups, the Eternal Ones’ care and provision is evident. To the shepherd boy who became king, the Eternal One revealed Himself to Him as his eternal shepherd. Out of this revelation of the Eternal One being the eternal shepherd, David wrote a poem set to music. It is known as Psalm 23.
Psalms 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
As a shepherd the Eternal One nurtures. He nourishes and cares for His people.
He provides a safe place for us to be at rest in Him. For the sheep to lie down and rest they must feel safe.
So in care and tenderness the Eternal One provides His presence to dwell in. For His presence is our safe place. Our safe place deep in His heart. In the Eternal One’s presence we are safe and secure, wrapped up in His love. We can be at home with the Eternal One, as He has provided everything of Himself to us.
In the Eternal One’s presence, it is like dwelling in green pastures. Where we receive from the Eternal One our spiritual food. Our spiritual food is as the choicest tender shoots, full of the most nutrition, taste and goodness. In His presence we drink and eat from the divine.
The Eternal One never causes us to fail. He causes us to sparkle, as His presence is a place of refreshing, quietness and stillness.
Not only does the Eternal One provide the safe dwelling place that causes us to sparkle, but to sustain us He also gives us rest.
As our eternal shepherd, the Eternal One is with us even in the most difficult and troubling of situations. For His presence to those who have received Him is heaven on earth. His presence is His eternal Spirit that He gives us. He makes His home in us and we in Him.
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In the Eternal One’s presence, with heart and mind condition of surrender, we receive freely. We are refreshed and revitalised, renewed and transformed.
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Immersed in His presence, the Eternal One leads and guides us into all truth. Where each day we know and experience Him more.
The Eternal One’s care and provision for those who have received Him is eternal. Father, Son and Spirit are always in complete unison. From the Father’s heart came Jesus the Son. Anointed by His own Spirit He came to give humanity His own life eternal. Jesus put it this way in response to those who refused to receive Him. Refused to listen to Him and give their allegiance to Him.
John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
The Eternal One - Father, Son and Spirit - gives His eternal life to all who have received Him. He knows who are His and calls us by name. No one can steal us away or change our identity because we belong to the Eternal One. We heard His call to salvation and said yes to Him. In saying yes to Jesus, we are His and He is ours.
We follow Jesus to the heart of God the Father. Jesus declared in John 10:14-15 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
We are so precious to Him that He gives all of Himself to us. He does all this so we can know and experience Him and be truly free.
For it is the Eternal One’s character to nurture to eternity - to love, care for and provide.
Another part of how the Eternal One nurtures to eternity is through teaching and training.
The Eternal One’s eternal character is such, that He knows and understands us. He knows our thoughts and uses ways to teach and train that are effective for us. Again He gives us all Himself to enable us to know and understand Him. To learn from the Eternal One and be trained by Him, so that we may know and experience Him. At home with Him for all eternity.
The Father, Son and Spirit are always in complete unison. Jesus the Son taught about the Father and His kingdom in words and actions. Jesus said that the Father is Spirit. He is loving, kind and only good.
In action Jesus demonstrated that the Eternal One is all powerful and forgives all offences done against Himself and each other.
Jesus also reminded humanity that as the Eternal One is the creator, He is sovereign over all. That means only the Eternal One has the right to rule and reign over the cosmos. For He created something out of nothing.
Jesus also taught that the Eternal One is all knowing and wise, holy and true. Only the Eternal One is eternal and only He is good. Therefore only the Eternal One can determine what is good and what is evil.
Before Jesus laid down His human life for humanity He taught many things. Jesus revealed that out of His Father’s great love for humanity, He came.
After Jesus returned to heaven, again the Father did not leave us alone. The Father sent His Spirit who will teach us and guide to all truth. Jesus put it this way.
John 14:15-29 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.
Jesus our good shepherd teaches and trains all who are willing. Every word of the Eternal One is filled with light and life. His commandments are not a to do list. They are the Eternal One’s prescription for us to receive Him and everything associated with Him. Everything is wrapped up in receiving Jesus. Receive Jesus and receive the Father and Spirit. Receive the eternal One and we receive His kingdom. His eternal kingdom which includes salvation and healing, identity and inheritance, equality and respect.
When Jesus empowered His church, that is every disciple to ‘make disciples’ He said teach them to observe all that He commanded. Once again it is not a to do list. It is to become a disciple of Jesus. In doing so we receive the Eternal One’s right to rule and reign. As we receive Jesus the Son we receive the Father and Holy Spirit. His Spirit of unity and love. Yet it is a daily journey, a daily continuum of surrendering self will to that of the Father’s will to be transformed by Him into His character. To receive more of Him, more of His love and truth. A witness of Him. By His command over us, out of His love in us, we will love God and each other.
The Spirit of the Eternal One is given to us to make His home in us. Come along side us, teach and train us, lead and guide us.
For it is the Eternal One’s character to nurture to eternity - to teach and train.
Throughout the Eternal One’s love story the Bible, the Eternal One encourages and supports all those who have given their allegiance to Him. His encouragement is often associated with living in His victory and strength, even in this world damaged by evil. The Eternal One shares the secrets of His heart with us.
Jesus our good shepherd said in John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
The Eternal One enables us to see through His eyes to eternity. To receive His peace, be still in His presence. At rest in Him no matter the circumstances in this life. As our eternal good shepherd He supports us and speaks words of encouragement over us. When He speaks it is so.
The Eternal One identifies Himself with us and has made His home in us. He calls us His own. For He has made us kings and priests in Christ Jesus.
The Eternal One honours us because He so loves.
The Eternal One will never deny us as He is with us. He will never leave us nor forsakes us. Jesus is coming back for us and each one who has received Him has a place of honour at His table. Where we live in the fullness of His character for all eternity.
For it is the Eternal One’s character to nurture to eternity - to encourage and support.
So let us conclude with Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
So the word for this new season to nurture to eternity
19:40 Outro music and voice over.
For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!