Category: Daily Walk with Christ

Fear Not 365 – He holds the Keys

April 16, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

16 Essential Scriptures for Easter

John 1:29 – The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Matthew 20:17-19 – Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

Luke 23:1-2 – Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

Luke 23:4 – So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”

Luke 23:24 – But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.

Mark 15:25 – Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS

Luke 23:34 – Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

John 19:28-30 – After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Mark 15:43 – Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Mark 15:46 – Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

Mark 16:2-4 – Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

Luke 24:2-3 – But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Luke 24:6-7 – He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 – So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:17-18 – And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Fear Not 365 – For We Serve a God Who Knows You

April 14, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

I have lived most of my life with a deep misunderstanding about my relationship to Jesus Christ. Until very recently, I thought of God as an angry taskmaster, the keeper of a list of all my wrongs and shortcomings, and a strict father, eager to punish. Only in the last few years have I grasped the fact that Christ came not to judge, but to rescue us.

Have you ever been scolded by a boss, or a parent, or a spouse, only to think, “They wouldn’t yell at me if they knew what I was going through.” Christ gave up His home in heaven, was born as a baby, and lived His life fully as an average man, but with the faith of a perfect God. He came to earth to know you, to love you, to sympathize with you, to laugh with you, and to cry with you. He came to save you from sin and death, and from yourself, but He didn’t come to judge you. He knows what you are going through.

Christ was that perfect man. He was the very image that God had created in the beginning, man without sin, the second Adam. At the same time, he was just like you and I, tempted in every way. He hungered. He tired. He angered. He loved. He feared. He endured every temptation you could ever face or will ever face. Temptation is not sin. Acting on temptation is a sin, or even indulging in temptation in your heart is sin. He didn’t sin.

That Jesus was just like you and me is difficult to imagine. It is, however, true. Isaiah tells us He even looked like you and I, an ordinary Joe.

“For He shall grow up before Him [His Father] as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.”

– Isaiah 53:2

Fear Not, for that ordinary Joe knows you, for He is human in every way. He is also a God in every way. Sinless. Perfect. He came to forgive, not to judge.

Fear Not, for serve a God who knows you and loves you.

Fear Not for Jesus paid for the sins of the world- by Rev. Jim Cariker

April 10, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

This is the beginning of Holy Week. And the Triumphal Entry of Jesus begins the final countdown to His destiny. Last week we reflected on Luke 9:51—“As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” I would declare to you that on this day, when Jesus had reached the Mount of Olives and was beginning His descent down the Mount and into Jerusalem, that His face was still “resolute,” or as is stated in Isaiah 50:7, his face was still “ set…like flint.”The verse in Luke 9:51 notes the Jesus was aware that the time “approached for Him to be taken up to heaven.” That meant that the time for his death was approaching.

This was not the first time Jesus had been in Jerusalem. His parents had brought him to the Temple to be dedicated when he was only a baby. And again at the age of 12 Jesus had made the trip to Jerusalem and then had stayed behind in the Temple until his parents came searching for him. We know that during his 3 years of public ministry that he was in Jerusalem on at least 3 occasions and maybe 4. And once, when the time of Feast of the Tabernacles was at hand, his brothers had taunted him about “making his appearance” in Jerusalem but instead of making a public entrance, Jesus slipped into the city and then begin teaching in the temple courts. (See John 7: 1-14). And it is very likely that Jesus came to Jerusalem on other occasions that are not reported in the Scriptures.

But that was then and this is now. Then “His Time had not yet come.” But now, “His time is at hand.” And with this very public, very deliberate, very prophetic fulfilling entrance, the final countdown has begun!
Mark 11:1-11
Let’s consider:

I. THE ENTRY

a. The Prophet Zechariah in chapter 9, verse 9 had written, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.” Every Jewish scholar and probably every Jewish male who had been schooled in their synagogue knew that this was a prophecy about the long-awaited Messiah. And Jesus would have known that passage as well. During his public ministry many had wondered whether or not he was the Messiah. This Triumphal Entry was a statement by Jesus declaring, “I am indeed the Messiah!”

b. The public demonstration of Praise with the waving of Palm Branches and the roadway covered with coats, and the crowd crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!. Hosanna in the highest heavens!’” (Luke 11: 9-10) says that the crowd certainly understood the message!

c. Luke tells us that there were Pharisees there who asked Jesus to stop the crowds from shouting their praises. (Luke 19:39-40).But Jesus refused, saying, “if these be quiet, the very stones would cry out.

d. As I consider this Triumphal Entry of Jesus, I cannot help but think of the time when Jesus is to return in what we call His “Second Coming.” It would seem that everyone in Jerusalem witnessed Jesus enter on that Palm Sunday. And the scriptures tell us that when He returns, it will also be a very public affair. In Revelation 1:7 John wrote, “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him and all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.” And at the Triumphal Entry his followers cried out in praise. In Philippians 2:10 & 11 Paul wrote concerning the coming of Christ, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” In the Triumphal Entry Jesus came riding on the colt of a donkey, but when He comes again He will be riding the clouds. Then he was accompanied by his disciples, but when he returns it will be with the Hosts of heaven!.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4: 16a). “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24: 30-31).

e. But on this day, Palm Sunday, we remember the flint-like determination as Jesus continued His march to His destiny. That day was a Sunday—In 5 days He would be hanging on a Roman Cross—sealing the covenant that would provide for our salvation!

II. THE EVENTS OF THE COUNTDOWN

a. His entrance into the city caused quite a stir, but what He did when He arrived lit the fuse! Matthew, Mark and Luke all three tell us that the first thing Jesus did was enter the Temple. He was deeply distressed at the corruption that He saw and was so moved that He overturned tables, released animals that were caged to be sold for sacrifices, and using cords to make a whip He drove out the money –changers. His words resounded throughout the Temple, “It is written that My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations! But you made it a den of robbers!” (Mark 11:17). This triggered the determination of the corrupt religious leaders to have Jesus put to death. But Jesus very publicly continued teaching in the Temple Courts.

b. But the Countdown was ticking. In a few hours Judas would conspire with the Temple authorities to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver—the price of the life of a slave who is gored to death by an ox (see Exodus 21:31). And by Thursday evening, Jesus had eaten the Passover Meal with his disciples, and had gone to the Garden of Gethsemane where He in agony had prayed. There He was arrested and brought before the Religious Authorities who had conspired against Him, and then turned over to the Roman authorities to be crucified.

III. HIS TIME ARRIVED

a. In the early morning hours on Friday, the Roman Governor Pilate in a cowardly act, washed his hands of his responsibility, and turned Jesus over to the soldiers who led Him to the outskirts of town to a hill called “The Place of the Skull”—a place we call Calvary—-and there Jesus was nailed to the Cross where He hung for some 6 hours before dying—The Sinless Lamb of God who became the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world (see 1 John 2:1-2).
CONCLUSION:

His time was approaching, so He set His face like flint resolutely to go to Jerusalem.
On Palm Sunday He publicly announced His Messiah-ship as He entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of prophecy.
Five days later His time arrived. He met his destiny—the Old Rugged Cross. There He offered Himself in exchange for our souls—the Sinless Lamb of God paying the penalty for our sins—and the Sins of the whole World (See 1 John 2:1-2).
And someday—it could be soon—He is coming again to claim His Bride—the Church—all those who have accepted His provision for our salvation. I want to be in that number!
Let’s join the Jerusalem Crowd and add our voices to the Praises of those who recognized their Coming King.
Let’s Praise Jesus!

Fear Not, for Jesus paid for the sins of world