A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Friday,
April 9,
2021
Northern
Flicker feasting on our neighbor's deck
(Photo by Marion Maxwell)
(Photo by Marion Maxwell)
"The
Living Antidote To Fear"
Message
summary: Jesus is the living antidote to all
our fears!
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
“Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades’” (Revelation 1:5,6,8,17,18).
I
believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood
Fear is a common topic we deal with in the course
of our ministry, and admittedly, within our own
hearts in particular settings or subject matters.
How about you? What might be stirring up the
cauldron of fear in your heart today; world
conditions, the state of our country and its rapid
spiritual and moral decline, a personal matter
affecting you or a loved one? We have all
experienced the emotion of fear in one way or
another.
Let
us find great assurance in the tiny phrase found
often in Scripture translated, "Do
not be afraid" ("fear
not" in the KJV). This phrase shows up
repeatedly from Genesis to Revelation. Fear itself
is first expressed in the Bible shortly after the
transgression in the garden when Adam said to God,
“I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). The
remainder of the Bible is full of many expressions
of human fear for a wide variety of reasons. But
the child of God may find such divine relief in
God’s command to “fear not” which is again
found in our daily text.
Revelation is a very complex book; thus there are many interpretations by equally earnest and faithful followers of Christ. Some parts are certainly easier to understand than others. In the first chapter we have the abbreviated characteristics of Christ listed in the passage we selected as our daily text.
As I contemplated today’s message a chorus we sang many years ago came to mind:
Revelation is a very complex book; thus there are many interpretations by equally earnest and faithful followers of Christ. Some parts are certainly easier to understand than others. In the first chapter we have the abbreviated characteristics of Christ listed in the passage we selected as our daily text.
As I contemplated today’s message a chorus we sang many years ago came to mind:
Alive, alive, alive forevermore
My Jesus is alive, alive forevermore!
My Jesus is alive, alive forevermore!
The
resounding message from our Lord surely brought
peace to John in that surreal setting, but as a
part of the Holy Scriptures His message speaks to
believers of all generations.
1)
Jesus Christ is the First and the Last. He
is the God of all eternity, the Lord of eternity
past and eternity future. He always was and is
and evermore shall be. As Reginald Heber
described in his majestic hymn "Holy, Holy
Holy", "Who wert, and art, and evermore shall
be!"
2) Jesus Christ is the living one who died, and is alive forevermore. He has the credentials of being resurrected, and lives to never die again though He indeed was dead. The victory that Jesus won over sin and death is a permanent victory. He didn't rise from the dead just to die again. He lives forevermore!
3) Jesus Christ has the keys of Death and of Hades. Some imagine that the devil is somehow the "lord of Hell" and has the authority or power to determine life or death. But only Jesus holds the keys of Death and Hades. We can trust that Jesus never lets Satan borrow the keys!
2) Jesus Christ is the living one who died, and is alive forevermore. He has the credentials of being resurrected, and lives to never die again though He indeed was dead. The victory that Jesus won over sin and death is a permanent victory. He didn't rise from the dead just to die again. He lives forevermore!
3) Jesus Christ has the keys of Death and of Hades. Some imagine that the devil is somehow the "lord of Hell" and has the authority or power to determine life or death. But only Jesus holds the keys of Death and Hades. We can trust that Jesus never lets Satan borrow the keys!
Jesus is truly the perpetual Living One. As we
read of His characteristics in Revelation, first
revealed to John and recorded late in the first
century over 1900 years ago, we can be assured
that they are equally true today and will be
throughout eternity! Certainly technology is
ever-changing as well as the “norms” of society,
but our Living One changes not.
I am strengthened and encouraged through the vision the Apostle John received while imprisoned on the isle of Patmos. When he saw the Son of man he fell at his feet as though he were dead. Jesus’ words of assurance to John and to each of us nearly two thousand years later helps to still my fears and reminds me that I serve a living, risen Christ. “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever.” Jesus is the living antidote to all our fears. Because Jesus lives we live also as Bill and Gloria Gaither penned that message lyrically with these words some 50 years ago:
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
I am strengthened and encouraged through the vision the Apostle John received while imprisoned on the isle of Patmos. When he saw the Son of man he fell at his feet as though he were dead. Jesus’ words of assurance to John and to each of us nearly two thousand years later helps to still my fears and reminds me that I serve a living, risen Christ. “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever.” Jesus is the living antidote to all our fears. Because Jesus lives we live also as Bill and Gloria Gaither penned that message lyrically with these words some 50 years ago:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
there are so many experiences or circumstances in
life that instill fear in our hearts. But we don’t
have to cringe in fear because You are with
us. Your protection assures us that things
will turn out for good in the end, whether in this
life or the life to come. Though Jesus’ followers
were devastated as He hung limp on the cross You
had a powerful plan all along and it turned out
for the good of all, even those responsible for
His death. Not only did Jesus rise from the dead,
but He is alive forevermore, preparing a place for
each of us who remain faithful. Father, we seek
You because we know that You hear us and will
deliver us from our unhealthy fears. We thank You
for it in advance, through the precious name of
Jesus. Amen. All
this week our messages have been on the resurrection
of Jesus Christ as taught in each of the major
sections of the New Testament.
- Monday's message was from the Gospel accounts.
- Tuesday's message we examined how the resurrection was a core element in apostolic preaching in Acts.
- Wednesday's and Thursday's
messages considered the resurrection teaching
in the epistles.
- Today we considered the resurrection teaching in the Book of Revelation.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Overcome" Video Calvary
Church Choir Easter Sunday 2019, the last
time our choir was able to sing on Easter!
This song has a lyric that also speaks to
our message today about "Fear Not".
We will not be moved
When the earth gives way
For the risen One has overcome
And for every fear
There's an empty grave
For the risen One has overcome
When the earth gives way
For the risen One has overcome
And for every fear
There's an empty grave
For the risen One has overcome
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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