Everyone Has a Story

Everyone has a story. A story that unravels the highs and lows of this life journey. As circumstances and experiences are different, each story is unique. Throughout history every individual and people group have their own story. A story of a search for something beyond their finite existence. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

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! 

00:21 Speaker

Everyone has a story. A story that unravels the highs and lows of this life journey. As circumstances and experiences are different, each story is unique. Throughout history every individual and people group have their own story. A story of a search for something beyond their finite existence.

Knowing this the Eternal One, through cultures and traditions reveals His glory. His glory of something more, something beyond this life. That is the Eternal One Himself. 

So let us go back in time. To the time of the kings and prophets. To a true story of a man whose name is Ezra.

He was from the lineage of Aaron, who was the first High Priest. Ezra was skilled in the Law of Moses. A law that the Eternal One had given to Ezra’s people. 

Ezra knew the history of his people and how the Eternal One journeyed with them. How the Eternal One judged the gods of Egypt and delivered his ancestors from slavery to them. Where the Eternal One parted the waters of the sea and created a pathway of dry ground for their exodus. 

Ezra knew of the time, when on a mountain for all to see the Eternal One’s presence came down. With His finger He personally carved the law into stone and gave it to Moses to give to the people. The people did not want to be close to the Eternal One. So at the foot of the mountain, they formed a golden calf and proclaimed it as their god.

Ezra knew of those times. He knew that the Eternal One gave the law to bring the people to their knees. To bring them back to Him, so that they would be truly free. Free from their selfish desires that gripped their hearts and the evil that put their life into bondage. 

Yes Ezra knew the hardness of his people’s heart but most of all Ezra knew the heart of the Eternal One. Of how He journeyed with them through the wilderness. How He rained down manna from heaven and brought forth water from a rock to sustain them. The Eternal One led them and guided them and always cared for them.

But most of all, Ezra knew that the Eternal One was there with them and made Himself known to them. By night He was a fire to keep them safe and warm. By day He appeared as a cloud to show them the way. His presence was with them even in their rejection of Him all through  their wilderness journey.

Ezra knew when his people came to the land promised to them by the Eternal One, they again rejected the Him. In fact they demanded of the Eternal One to give them a human king. As they had chosen the ways of humanity and the surrounding nations, they had human kings.

So as the empires of humanity came and went, Jerusalem was ransacked and the Hebrew people were now in exile. 

Yet in amongst it all, Ezra also knew there was always a remnant. That is individuals within his people who did not reject the Eternal One. They stayed faithful and true. Ezra was one such individual. 

Even in exile in Babylon, far away from his homeland and culture, in the midst of the Babylonian gods, Ezra chose to worship the one true God, the Eternal One. 

Under the reign of a Persian king, who had conquered Babylon, Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Eternal One. To not only seek it, but to do it. To tell his people about the faithfulness of the Eternal One. How He longs for their returning to Him. So they can be truly free. For Ezra knew that his people had gone far away from God’s ways. 

Ezra desired to teach the statutes and ordinances to his people in Jerusalem. So that just like Moses in the days of old, when he came down from that mountain, the Eternal One gave the law to his people. Ezra wanted to bring his people back to the Eternal One. He wanted revival.

A revival that transforms and sustains. Where their hearts of stone are turned into hearts that beat in unison with the God of the living, the Eternal One. 

So under the reign of Artaxerxes the Persian king, Ezra is given a decree to take with him those of his people willing to return to Jerusalem. 

Amongst other things it states, Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven.

Ezra expressed his heart to the Eternal One, the God of heaven.

Ezra 7:7-28 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me. 

Ezra was encouraged. Not by the king’s decree or the circumstances surrounding him. He was not even encouraged by the leading men of his people joining him. Ezra was encouraged because the hand of the Eternal One, his God was upon him. 

This is a powerful revelation of the Eternal One that Ezra received. That no matter where he was in this life journey, no matter the circumstances the Eternal One’s hand is upon him. The Eternal One is there with him and will never leave him. For Ezra had chosen the Eternal One to be his God. There would be no other gods before Him. 

So Ezra and the leading men of his people in exile journeyed to Jerusalem. 

After some time they arrived in Jerusalem. Ezra discovered that amongst his people who remained in Jerusalem, there were many who again had turned their back on the Eternal One. So Ezra’s heart was heavy. He was vulnerable and feeling the weight of the shame.

Ezra fell on his knees before the Eternal One, his God and laments.

Ezra 9:5-10 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God. And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day. And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments,

Out of revelation of the underserved favour of the Eternal One towards a people who said they were his, yet in their hearts were not, the words of Ezra spring forth. Ezra does not even ask for deliverance from their own bondage. He asks that the Eternal One may enlighten their eyes and to give a measure of revival. A measure of revival that transforms and sustains. 

As Ezra wept face down before the house of the Eternal One, the people gathered to him. They also wept bitterly.

Time passed. The people of Hebrew lineage were now living in their cities. They had all gathered as Ezra brought out the sacred book of the law. The law which the Lord had commanded them all those generations ago. Let us go to that moment.

Nehemiah 8:2-12 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God.

Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

What a beautiful moment. The people were gathered. Men, women and children all stood up in honour of the Eternal One. All those of age of understanding were there. The emotions were high, the reverence evident. All the people were attentive. They saw and heard Ezra had blessed the Eternal One. 

That word that has been translated as blessed is the same word used in the beginning when the Eternal One blessed the first man and woman. It means because I love, am devoted to you, I honour you. Ezra was declaring declaring a deep truth about the Eternal one in front of all the people. 

In response the people answered Amen, which means so be it. 

At that moment was a revelation given by the Eternal One and testified by Ezra. The people bowed their heads, lifted up their hands and worshipped the Eternal One. Ezra together with Nehemiah and the Levites taught the people. That this day, this holy day, be a time of celebration, not mourning, for the joy of the Eternal One is their strength.

The Eternal One delights in them and honours them with His presence. That is the greatest blessing and honour of all. The eternal glory beyond Ezra’s finite existence was revealed to him in the presence of the Living God. 

True revival, the one that transforms and sustains is a work of God. Evidenced in a surrendered heart and mind. True revival is a daily journey and not a once off event of a divine encounter. It is a daily journey to surrender self will to that of the Father’s will. Taking a moment to receive more of His love, truth and power. For His delight is in us. When He is our God, we are truly set free. 

Ezra’s story lives on through the Eternal One’s story. His story in the story of individuals and people groups throughout the ages, continues. His story lives on in the surrendered hearts and minds of those who receive Him. His love story is complete when received, experienced and sustained by the Eternal One Himself. He transforms, He revives and He sustains. As we surrender to Him, receive from Him, His joy over us is our strength. 

Everyone has a story. It is only complete through knowing and experiencing the Eternal One. His story in our story, our story in His story. A true eternal love story. 

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!