THE DEATH Of JESUS. A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died. By Dr. C. Truman Davis* A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion. From New Wine Magazine, April 1982. Originally published in Arizona Medicine, March 1965, Arizona Medical Association. Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ, when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him." Despite the gospel accounts silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic. An attempt to examine the infinite psychical and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture? Gethsemane. The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV). Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock. Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face. Before Pilate. In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion. Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped. Mockery . The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed. Golgotha In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa. In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed by the Jews. The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place. The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified. On the Cross. As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet. At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. The Last Words Spasmodically. He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded. The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother." The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart. The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV). A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Death. The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary. Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium. Resurrection. In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed. But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning. *Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

❤️THE REALITY OF MODERN OCCULTISM. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. -1 Timothy 4:1. The Scriptures predict that there will be a great increase in demonic activity in the last days. Our age is characterized by an ever-increasing flood of Satanic wickedness ranging all the way from psychic afflictions to moral aberrations. This rapid expansion of the work of the kingdom of darkness is affecting and influencing the entire world, its governments, society, the church, and the life of the believer. Demonic activity is clearly seen in the alarming increase in crime, lust, deceit, moral depravity, suicide, war, homosexuality, fear, worry, anxiety, atheism, disease, psychic disorders, demonic oppression and possession, and drug and alcohol addiction, together with the growth and intensification of spiritism, occultism, false religious cults, and the work and doctrines of seducing spirits and demons. There has never been a time in history when the warnings against the dangers of occultism (all forms of fortunetelling, magic, spiritism, and false religious cults) were more needful than the time in which we live. Multitudes of people, Christian and non-Christian alike, find themselves suffering physical, mental, psychic, and spiritual oppression; yet few realize that it is because they have allowed themselves to become ensnared in the demonic web of occultism, which is under the influence and control of the powers of darkness. Practices such as witchcraft, sorcery, and spiritism, which were once conducted more or less surreptitiously and abhorred by the average person, are now being clothed with a cloak of respectability and popularized through religious literature, lectures, church groups, radio, and TV. Millions are being subjected to demonstrations of the powers of darkness by such occult practices as clairvoyance, telepathy, ESP, hypnotism, fortunetelling, divination, magic, seances, and many other psychic practices. The late James A. Pike, a well-known Episcopal bishop, participated in a televised seance, allegedly communicating with his dead son (a suicide) through the professional medium Arthur Ford, a Disciples of Christ minister! The daily lives of millions are being influenced by the horoscope, which is the ancient Babylonian pseudoscientific black art of astrology (Daniel 2:2). Occult games such as "Ouija," "Clairvoyant," "Horoscope," "ESP," "Mystic Eye," "Kabala," "Dungeons and Dragons," and "Voodoo" are now being sold everywhere and suggested as ideal gifts for children and adults alike. As a result of its unprecedented psychic interest, the public can also purchase such occult articles as the planchette, pendulum, horoscope charts, tarot cards for telling fortunes, crystal balls, books on ESP, party games involving mind reading, hypnosis, clairvoyance, precognition, and so on, as well as other objects of the black arts. We find that many persons in government circles presidents, prime ministers, congressmen, senators, generals and admirals, envoys, and members of the State Department–seek and welcome the counsel and advice of clairvoyants and psychic mediums such as Jeane Dixon, whose prognostications have been derived from fortune telling cards and the crystal ball, and Arthur Ford who has conducted seances while in a trance. Moreover, some law enforcement agencies unhesitatingly engage the services of psychics like Peter Hurkosand G. Croiset, who have used their occult psychometric and clairvoyant powers to aid in the solution of crimes. Hurkos, for example, has assisted the police on murder cases in many countries, including the notorious "Boston Strangler" case. Graphology, a form of fortune telling through handwriting analysis, is now being used by many business firms who regularly consult graphologists to analyze the handwriting of prospective employees in an attempt to "read" their character, personality, and other traits, and thereby to predict their potentiality and worth, or lack of it. The CIA is said to have used handwriting analysis along with other tests, as do banks, finance companies, sales firms, manufacturers, and many others. Multitudes, including business, government, and religious leaders, beset with problems, fearful and confused because of the present state of the world, and concerned about the future, are seeking help and information from fortune tellers and spiritualist mediums. Countless others have been subjected to the influences and deceptions of spiritualism, assuming everything supernatural is of God, and mistaking the powers of darkness for the power of God. The gullible are naively falling victim to the fallacious reasoning that since God can heal and perform miracles, then every case of healing and everything that passes for a miracle must be from God. Since God has spoken through men by prophecy and revelation, they believe that everyone who claims to have a prophecy or revelation from God must be accepted as a prophet and seer. Thus, psychic mediums and clairvoyants are finding increasing acceptance from every quarter by the multitudes who are clamoring for their help and guidance through the operation of their alleged "gifts of God." Many others are involved one way or another in the superstitions of magic in an effort to be healed or helped by it in some way, or in order to influence others through it. Such delusion is nothing new, for we find it recorded in Acts 8:9-11, and we are warned concerning its increase in the last days, in which we now live (I Timothy 4:1-3; II Timothy 3:1-9; Matthew 24:24; II Corinthians 11:14; II Thessalonians 2:7-12). The use of LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs, with their resultant damaging emotional, mental, and psychic effects, has become in our time a symbol of mankind's frustration with life in the present world and is an attempt to venture into the spiritual "unknown" by means contrary to God's will. The "hippie" movement had considerable interest in the occult, e.g., fortunetelling, telepathy, astrology, black magic, devil worship, and other forms of witchcraft. Reports from England, Africa, France, Germany, South America, Haiti, Vietnam, Switzerland, in fact, from all over the world, including the U.S.A ., reveal that occultism in all forms is rapidly on the increase. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually on the so-called occult sciences. Thousands of tons of occult books and other literature find their way into homes via the newsstands and booksellers each year. Occult influence can readily be detected in movies, plays, and stories, and in many reputable magazines which contain regular monthly horoscope columns. Some years ago a published estimate revealed that there were at least 5000 astrologers in the U.S.A. alone, who charted the heavens for over 10 million ardent American followers of this ancient black art. These numbers continue to increase. Millions more have become addicted to and are influenced by horoscope columns in daily newspapers. The sale of horoscope magazines numbers in the millions and is increasing yearly according to reliable sources. In America, four times as many women as men are devotees of fortune telling by means of astrology. Business Week magazine reported that "legerdemain is becoming big business." People everywhere are taking renewed interest in magic and sleight of hand deception, including doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, ministers, advertising men, and salesmen. Even manufacturers are using the magician's tricks to promote their wares. Capitalizing on the new interest in occultism, many companies offer magic kits as a premium for buying their products. Time magazine has reported a great upsurge in interest in the black arts with sales of occult items such as crystal balls, tarot fortune telling cards, and Ouija boards at an all time record high. In any city of size, one can purchase such articles of witchcraft as amulets, hexing dolls, ingredients for casting magic spells, charm powders, mystic incense, roots, herbs, charms, magic candles, love potions, and many other occult and voodoo supplies. Books on "self-hypnosis" are becoming increasingly popular as a sort of do-it-yourself psychiatry. They promise the reader that self-hypnosis can, by controlling the subconscious, "unleash explosive powers within" and make life give you what you want-more money, power, prestige, marital happiness, freedom from pain and depression; put an end to fear; conquer bad temper; or change bad habits. A popular movement known as "Concept Therapy," a form of psychic self-improvement similar in some respects to such mental sciences as Unity and Christian Science, is being promoted as a panacea whereby one may, through mental concentration and the observance of certain "laws," actually "heal with ideas." The mails are being flooded with advertisements offering the gullible alleged occult secrets on "how to claim one's full psychic estate" by developing one's ESP powers. Others promise instruction on communication with departed loved ones and spirit "guides"; on projecting one's "astral self" outside the body in order to travel anywhere at will; on the practice of metaphysical healing of the body; and on such topics as how to read minds, how to gain control over others by mental suggestion, how to make oneself irresistible to the opposite sex, and how to predict the future. In this materialistic age, full of uncertainty and unrest, when even the church has grown skeptical of the validity of the supernatural for today, multitudes are turning to the delusions of spiritualism, or to the fortune tellers for guidance. They are seeking spiritual enlightenment and comfort, not from the Scriptures, but from the literature of occultism, including metaphysics and spiritism, and from false religious cults such as Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Christian Science, Unity, Swedenborgianism, Mormonism, Baha'ism, Jehovah's Witness, and so on. The quest for spiritual reality and meaning in this chaoticage is reflected in the tremendous popularity of such pseudo-Christian literature as A Gift of Prophecy: The Phenomenal Jeane Dixon and A Search for the Truth by Ruth Montgomery; Edgar Cayce, The Sleeping Prophet (over 6 months on coast-to-coast best-seller lists); Nothing So Strange (the autobiography of Arthur Ford, the medium); and The Search for Bridey Murphy. The market is flooded with all manner of metaphysical and parapsychological literature, including books on ESP, telepathy, yoga, reincarnation, astrology, psychic phenomena, flying saucers (UFOs), ghosts, witchcraft, black magic, communication with the dead, hypnosis, and the supernatural and paranormal in general. Psychic interest is so high that occult book clubs have been established to meet the demand. Sensing that the contemporary church lacks the awareness of the true spiritual dimension and its power, many are seeking spiritual understanding and direction from such organizations as the Inner Peace Movement (IPM); the Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE); Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship (SFF); and the Religious Research Foundation of America (RRFA). The occult nature of these and similar organizations is seen in their stress upon psychic phenomena and experiences, clairvoyance, precognition, the development of one's powers of ESP, personal communion with the dead and spirit "guides," and many other practices similar to those of spiritism, cults, and occultism in general. In addition, multitudes are being deluded by the absurd and unscriptural doctrine of reincarnation, whereby one "atones" for his own sins through a cycle of rebirths. This fantasy is currently arousing unusual interest in the Western world, largely as a result of renewed interest in Eastern metaphysics and the writings of such groups as the Rosicrucian's and Theosophy. Psychics like Edgar Cayce and Grace Whittenberger have contended that one may find the meaning and purpose of their present life on earth through so-called "life readings," or "reincarnative readings," concerning one's alleged previous lives. An important factor in the present-day alarming upsurge of interest in psychic phenomena, ESP, clairvoyance, telepathy, hypnosis, and so on, is the work done by such organizations as the English and American Societies for Psychical Research, as well as the writings of such men as Dr. J.B. Rhine of Duke University, author of Reach of the Mind, who originated the term "Extrasensory Perception" (ESP). Researchers in psychic science and parapsychology, with their discoveries of the hitherto largely unknown psychic forces present in the world, and by encouraging the development in man of the powers of clairvoyance, telepathy, hypnotism, and psychometry, are unwittingly opening wide the flood gates for satanic influence and control of the minds of men. These psychic powers, which are erroneously thought to be "latent" within all men, and only need developing to bring them forth, are not forces within the individual at all. On the contrary, the powers of clairvoyance, precognition, telepathy, and other forms of extrasensory perception, occur as a result of an invasion by insidious spiritual forces from without, which move in and begin to function in and through that individual. He opens himself to these dark powers by seeking psychic experiences, and through his efforts to develop the powers of ESP, or through involvement in any form of occultism. Thus, parapsychologists, under the guise of advancing psychic research and knowledge, are encouraging young and old alike to experiment in the psychic realm, in violation of the will of God and His express commands to the contrary. Their purpose is to heighten one's alleged subconscious powers of clairvoyance, telepathy, and so on; but they ignore the emotional, psychic, and spiritual damage to those who open themselves to the influence and control of the powers of darkness. The interest in psychic experimentation has become so widespread that more and more universities are establishing parapsychological departments for psychic research. Those who wish to test themselves personally for powers of ESP can now purchase "kits" by mail for such experimentation. Occultism and the black arts in general are experiencing a phenomenal revival of interest, influencing more people today than at any time in history. Leading universities, because of the great interest in the occult, offer courses of study with titles such as "Witchcraft, Magic, and Sorcery"; "Parapsychology"; "Psychology of the Paranormal"; and so on. So-called "witchcraft parties," in which a palmist, psychic, or fortuneteller is invited to enhance otherwise mediocre social gatherings, are becoming increasingly popular. Moreover, where the youth once gathered to play innocent party games, now they will amuse themselves, as likely as not, with such bizarre pastimes as table-tipping, levitation of bodies, seances, fortunetelling, hypnotism, playing with the Ouija board, and any number of other occult practices and psychic experiments. Leading sources have reported an open revival of witchcraft in England, as that nation is plagued with the greatest increase in sorcery and occultism since the Middle Ages. Thousands of confessed witches and devotees of witchcraft meet regularly to perpetuate pagan rituals and fertility rites, and to invoke and worship pagan gods (demons, cf. Deuteronomy 32:16-17; I Corinthians 10:20). In San Francisco, the First Satanic Church was founded and led by Anton La Vey, the self-proclaimed "priest of Satan." Devil worship is practiced throughout the world today in Germany, Mexico, England, America, France, and elsewhere. Practitioners of occultism can be found in every city of the world. The gullible seek them for guidance concerning their problems; "spirit" healing; readings of their alleged "past lives"; the location of lost persons and objects; predictions regarding everything from personal matters (marriage, career, love, etc.) to business affairs; and communication with the dead. The powers of darkness are sweeping across the earth to deceive and destroy, as Satan knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). False prophets are rising to deceive many by making accurate predictions concerning historical events. Seducing spirits speaking through false teachers and writers are leading the gullible astray with their subtle teachings of religious error (I Timothy 4:1). Psychics, who claim their "gift" is from God, are deluding multitudes, including many professing Christians, ministers, and religious leaders, who naively accept everything supernatural as divine, oblivious of the fact that Satan also can perform great signs and wonders (II Thessalonians 2:9-12). Psychic and "spirit" healers, counterfeiting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, are performing many miraculous cures by occult power. For example, Tony Agpaoa, a "psychic surgeon" in the Philippines, made headlines when several well-known Americans, notably from the field of sports, went to have him perform drugless, painless surgery on them using no instruments to make incisions except his bare hands. Harry Edwards, a "spirit" healer in England, has had spirit "guides" heal through him, often without him touching the patient. Edwards, we are told, has even treated members of the royal family, as well as many of England's clergy. The current widespread scientific interest and developments in psychic research; the growing acceptance of parapsychology as a science; the use of hypnotism by psychiatrists and medical doctors; and the acceptance by scientists of extrasensory perception as a legitimate manifestation of the mind, are unmistakable evidence of Satan's success in gaining access to man's spirit, as a necessary step in his invasion of humanity on a scale unheard of in history! Furthermore, we are witnessing an increase in occult literature geared to influence business and professional men and women, stressing that the key to success and personal achievement is "psychic self-improvement"; development of one's "cosmic powers"; "tuning in on the creative intelligence of the universe"; learning "how to make ESP work for you"; and so on. Organizations such as the Inner Peace Movement (whose stated goal has been to help men develop their powers of ESP), have offered programs along the lines of "leadership training utilizing extrasensory perception" to business, industrial, professional, and academic leaders, in order to develop "self-understanding" in executives and supervisors. This is supposed to help them recognize and develop potentials in their employees. The growing influence of astrologers who specialize in forecasts concerning stock market conditions, labor and management, production, taxes, and politics, as well as business and financial matters in general, is unlike anything seen before, as countless business and professional people seek their advice and counsel. Show business people are notoriously superstitious and especially addicted to astrology for guidance concerning their professional careers. But businessmen who are consulting the horoscope are quickly overtaking them, both in numbers and fervor! The success of the powers of darkness in influencing religious leaders is nowhere more evident than in the contemporary liberal and neo-orthodox emphasis in religious schools and theological seminaries. Demonic activity and influence are not limited to the violent behavior we see in the Gadarene demoniac (Mark5). Satan often works in subtle ways, i.e., under the guise of modern scholarship, or through the religious cults. "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness" (II Corinthians 11:14-15). Among ministers and religious leaders, there is an increasing interest in occult literature, ESP, and communication with the dead, as well as other occult practices and psychic phenomena. The Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship is an association of ministers and laymen interested in psychic phenomena, communication with the dead, and so on. Founded by Arthur Ford, a Disciples of Christ minister and trance medium, it is an example of the growing occult interests of ministers in America. The membership of the Churches Fellowship for Psychic Studies in England includes many religious dignitaries who are interested in the relationship between extrasensory experiences and religion. The widespread influence of psychics and other occult practitioners upon government, military, and political leaders has already been shown. Nor can we fail to mention the rise of the New Age movement, a demonically inspired, humanistic religion of rebellion against God, which sets up man as a "god" unto himself. Surely one cannot mistake the devilish source which drove a well-known movie starlet to run naked up and down a beach, screaming, "I am god! I am god!" in the name of the New Age! There has never been a time in history when occult involvement has been more widespread. Millions are deluded, including many professing Christians, ministers, and religious leaders, both as to its satanic character and its resultant psychic and spiritual damage to those who participate. Important questions to consider. Have there ever been any occult contacts or involvement in your personal life or family history? Are you aware that the Scriptures say that God condemns such participation without reservation? If you have ever practiced or participated in any of these things, then consider the following questions carefully. They may well be the doorway to your deliverance from occult subjection and oppression. 1. Have you ever visited a fortune teller, who told your fortune by the use of cards, tea leaves, palm reading, or other occult means? 2. Has anyone ever hypnotized you, or have you ever practiced self-hypnosis or yoga? 3. Do you read or follow the horoscope? 4. Have you attended a seance or spiritualist meeting at any time? 5. Have you had a "life" or "reincarnative" reading? 6. Have you consulted a Ouija board, planchette, cards, tea leaves, crystal ball, and such like (whether "in fun," out of curiosity, or in earnest)? 7. Have you played with any so-called "games" of an occult nature (ESP, Telepathy, Kabala, etc.)? 8 ). Have you ever consulted a medium? 9. Have you ever sought healing by any occult means, either voluntarily as an adult, or involuntarily as a child? This would include the removal of warts, or the treatment of burns or other disease by magic conjuration or charming; by a Spiritualist, Christian Scientist, or other "spirit-healing" practitioner; by psychic healing, hypnosis, or metaphysical healing; by the use of the pendulum or trance for diagnosis; or by any other occult means. (Such practices are not to be confused with divine healing through faith as taught in the Scriptures.) 10. Have you ever sought to locate missing objects or persons by consulting someone who has psychic, clairvoyant, or psychometric powers? 11. Have you practiced table-lifting (tipping), levitation, or automatic (spirit) writing? 12. Have you ever been given or worn an amulet, talisman, or charm for luck or protection? 13. Have you, or has anyone for you, practiced water witching (sometimes called dowsing or divining for water, etc.) using a twig or pendulum? 14. Do you read or possess occult or spiritualist literature, such as books on astrology, interpretation of dreams, metaphysics, psychic phenomena, ESP, self-realization, religious cults, fortunetelling, magic, or clairvoyance, and especially such occult magical books as Secrets of the Psalms, and the diabolical so-called Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses? 15. Have you experimented with or practiced ESP or telepathy? 16. Have you used the psychedelic drug, LSD? 17. Have you ever practiced any form of magic charming or ritual? 18. Have you had your handwriting analyzed, practiced mental suggestion, cast a magic spell, or sought psychic experiences? 19. Do you possess any occult or pagan relics, artifacts, or religious objects which may have been involved in pagan temples and religious rites, or in the practice of sorcery, magic, divination, or spiritualism? 20. Have you ever attended meetings such as those of the Rosicrucian's, Spiritualists, Mormons, Christian Scientists, Baha'i, Theosophy, Unity, Inner Peace Movement, Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship, Association for Research and Enlightenment, Religious Research Foundation of America, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians, or others of an occult nature? 21. Do you realize that all these practices, as well as any participation in them, are condemned by God in the Scriptures? 22. Do you realize that divination, fortunetelling, magic practices, false religious cults, and spiritism in all forms are an abomination to God and are under His curse? 23. Do you realize that, if you ever practiced or participated in any form of occultism (whether intentionally or innocently), you opened the door to oppression from the powers of darkness, even if your occult activity occurred before you became a Christian? 24. Do you realize that you may now be the victim of demonic subjection or oppression because of this, even though you have been unaware of the source and cause of your problems? The direct connection between occult involvement and physical, psychic, mental, and spiritual oppression was shown in the previous study on “Demonism in the Light of Scripture” We urge you to give careful attention as you read it, for many have found the way of liberation when shown the occult cause for their oppression. I hope you join us next time for our further studies on these topics. Edited. Shared. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

THE DEATH Of JESUS. A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died. By Dr. C. Truman Davis* A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion. From New Wine Magazine, April 1982. Originally published in Arizona Medicine, March 1965, Arizona Medical Association. Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ, when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him." Despite the gospel accounts silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic. An attempt to examine the infinite psychical and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture? Gethsemane. The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV). Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock. Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face. Before Pilate. In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion. Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped. Mockery . The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed. Golgotha In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa. In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed by the Jews. The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place. The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified. On the Cross. As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet. At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. The Last Words Spasmodically. He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded. The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother." The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart. The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV). A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Death. The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary. Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium. Resurrection. In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed. But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning. *Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

THE DEATH Of JESUS A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died. By Dr. C. Truman Davis* A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion. From New Wine Magazine, April 1982. Originally published in Arizona Medicine, March 1965, Arizona Medical Association. Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ, when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him." Despite the gospel accounts silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic. An attempt to examine the infinite psychical and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture? Gethsemane. The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV). Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock. Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face. Before Pilate. In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion. Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped. Mockery . The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed. Golgotha In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa. In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed by the Jews. The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place. The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified. On the Cross. As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet. At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. The Last Words Spasmodically. He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded. The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother." The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart. The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV). A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Death. The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary. Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium. Resurrection. In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed. But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning. *Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

Maranatha. God's Judgments in the Land. Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Luke 21:26. O that God's people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of cities, now almost given to idolatry! ... Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say, “We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.” Others said, “You knew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.” On every side I heard such words spoken.... Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations—trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him. The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.... Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable. 24 Welfare Ministry, 136, 137. Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God's indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. 25 Evangelism, 27.

STORACALS OF PROPHECY #22 Hello friends, family, and my brothers, and sisters in Christ. This is Brother Johnny Gass. Welcome to Bible study. Study to show thyself to approved unto God, a Workman unashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 Please share these lessons with everyone you know for the expansion of the kingdom of God. Proving the Prophets. Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, wanted to recapture the town of Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. But he needed help, so he asked good King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join his campaign against their common enemy. Jehoshaphat said he was willing to join forces with Ahab, but that they should first seek God's counsel. Ahab had forsaken the Lord years earlier to worship the pagan god Baal, so he called in 400 hired prophets to come before the two monarchs. With dramatic display, these false prophets said, "Go and fight the Syrians, and you will be victorious!" But King Jehoshaphat requested to hear from a true prophet of the Lord. Ahab said that there was one prophet of Jehovah left whose name was Micaiah, but he added, "I hate him for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." Verse 8. At Jehoshaphat's insistence, Ahab reluctantly sent a servant to fetch Micaiah. The brave prophet came and made a very unpopular prediction. He told Ahab that he would die in the battle with Syria. Now Ahab faced a tough decision. Should he believe 400 prophets who say nice things, or one lone prophet of the Lord? Stubborn King Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to disregard the warnings of the prophet Micaiah and join him in the war. He thought he could outsmart the Lord by dressing in full armor and avoiding the front lines of battle. But Ahab learned too late that you can never escape the Word of God. During the battle, a stray arrow flying through the air struck Ahab in the joints of his armor, and he bled to death in his chariot. Jesus warned that there will be many false prophets in the last days (Matthew 24:11). That is why we must know how to distinguish the true from the counterfeit. It may be a matter of life or death! 1. To whom does the Lord reveal His final plans? Amos 3:7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the _______. Answer : ____________________ 2. Will there be both true and false prophets in the last days? Matthew 24:11. And many _______ prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: Yes, there will be both true and false prophets in the end time. The Scriptures also teach that prophets can be either men or women. 3. What types of false prophets are specifically condemned in the Bible? Deuteronomy 18:10. "One ... that useth ________ [fortune teller]." Deuteronomy 18:10. "An observer of times [astrologer]." Deuteronomy 18:10. "An enchanter [magician]." Deuteronomy 18:10. "A witch [female psychic]." Deuteronomy 18:10. "A charmer [person who casts spells or charms]." Deuteronomy 18:11. "A consulter with familiar spirits [spirit medium]." Deuteronomy 18:11. "A wizard [male psychic]." Deuteronomy 18:11. "A necromancer [person who claims to consult with the dead]." Deuteronomy 18:11. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says that all who do these things are an "abomination" to the Lord. For this reason, Christians should have nothing to do with them. 4. Will God's end-time church have the gift of prophecy? Revelation 12:17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the ______________ of Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:10 I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the __________ of Jesus: worship God: for the __________ of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: As we learned in Lesson 17, God's end-time remnant church has "the testimony of Jesus," which is "the spirit of prophecy." By comparing Revelation 19:10 and 22:9, we see that the angel defines John's "brethren" that have the spirit of prophecy as "the prophets" and "them which keep the sayings of this book." In 1 Corinthians 1:5-8, Paul writes that the church will have "the testimony of Christ" and will "come behind in no gift" until Jesus' second coming. So God's last-day church will indeed still have the gift of prophecy. 5. In what ways does God speak to a true prophet? Numbers 12:6, 8. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a _______, and will speak unto him in a dream. ... With him will I speak mouth to mouth. Zechariah 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: The Lord speaks to His prophets by visions, in dreams, face to face, and through angels. Crystal balls, palm readings, tea leaf deciphering, star gazing, and claiming to talk with the dead are not God's methods of communicating with a prophet. 6. Are miracles definite evidence of a true prophet? Revelation 16:14. For they are the spirits of _______, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: No, miracles are not proof that someone is a true prophet. They prove only one thing--supernatural power. But supernatural power may come either from God or from Satan. That is why the Lord tells us: "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1. 7. What is the most important test of a prophet? Isaiah 8:20. To the ______ and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: The "law and the testimony" was an Old Testament expression for "Bible." In other words, a message from someone who claims to have a prophetic utterance from God must be compared with the Bible. We must test the prophet by the Bible, and not the Bible by the prophet. Any true prophet of God will always agree 100 percent with Scripture. This is the true test. 8. What is the second test of a prophet? 1 John 4:2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that _______ Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: A prophet of God must acknowledge and teach the truth about Jesus Christ--that He was God in human form. True prophets must also exalt Jesus, not themselves. Most false prophets seek to draw attention away from God's Word and to their own ideas. 9. What is the third test of a prophet? Matthew 7:16. Ye shall know them by their _________. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: This does not mean that the prophet will be perfect. God's prophets have always had faults. However, there must be consistency between what true prophets teach and the lives they live. 10. What is the fourth test of a prophet? Jeremiah 28:9. When the word of the prophet shall come to _____, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: A true prophet will not make false predictions. If a prophet is of God, the things he or she says will come to pass. However, accuracy alone does not automatically qualify a person as a true prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns that false prophets can give signs that will come to pass and then use their influence to lead people to follow other gods. A true prophet must lead people to worship God according to the Bible. 11. What three things does Paul command regarding prophecy? 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21. Despise not prophesyings. _______ all things; hold fast that which is good. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: Paul says that we are not to despise, or reject, the gift of prophecy. Rather, we must test a prophet's messages by Scripture and follow what is good and true. 12. Whose counsel do we reject when we reject the words of a true prophet? Luke 7:28-30. There is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: ... And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified __________. ... But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of ___ against themselves. Answer : ____________________ NOTE: When we reject the words of a true prophet, we reject the counsel of God. A solemn thought! The Bible tells us to listen to God's prophets and promises that all who follow the counsel of a true prophet will prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20 Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 13. Since God still speaks through prophets, and since a true prophet's words are the personal "testimony of Jesus" to you, are you willing to test modern prophets by the Bible and follow the counsel of those who agree with Scripture? Answer : ____________________ Supplemental Study Modern-Day Prophet In December of 1844, a group of young Methodist ladies were kneeling in prayer in Portland, Maine, when Ellen Harmona 17-year-old girl in frail health received her first vision. As Ellen (who became Ellen White after her marriage to a young minister named James White) related what God had revealed to her, she continued to receive visions and dreams for about 70 years until her death in 1915. As was true for the biblical prophets, certain supernatural physical phenomena accompanied Ellen White during her visions. Like the prophet Daniel, she did not breathe while in vision and often initially lost physical strength (Daniel 10:8, 17). Some of her visions lasted as long as four hours, but she did not breathe the entire time. Doctors who examined her while she was in vision attested to this fact. At other times, she was also given supernatural strength (Daniel 10:18, 19). Though Ellen weighed only 95 pounds, witnesses saw her hold a 17-pound family Bible in her outstretched hand for 30 minutes while in vision. These and other physical phenomena indicate that there is something supernatural about the experience of a prophet. However, they do not tell us whether the prophet is from God or from Satan. When faced with a supernatural claim to the prophetic gift, Christians must test the claim by the Bible to see if it is true. Applying the Four Biblical Tests Let's look together to see whether or not the life and ministry of Ellen White meet the four biblical tests of a true prophet. First Test - Harmony with Scriptures Read any one of Ellen White's books, and you will discover that it consistently leads you to the Bible and is in total agreement with Scripture. However, she did not regard her writings as an addition to Scripture. Their purpose was to call the attention of God's people to the Bible and bring them back to the Bible as the only source of truth. Notice Ellen White's emphatic declaration that the Bible is the only rule of faith: "In our time there is a wide departure from their doctrines and precepts, and there is need of a return to the great Protestant principle - the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty."1 She also wrote: "The written testimonies are not to give new light, but to impress vividly upon the heart the truths of inspiration already revealed. Man's duty to God and to his fellow man has been distinctly specified in God's word yet but few of you are obedient to the light given. Additional truth is not brought out but God has through the Testimonies simplified the great truths already given and in His own chosen way brought them before the people to awaken and impress the mind with them, that all may be left without excuse."2 Although Ellen White emphatically stressed that her writings were never to be considered part of the Bible, they are nonetheless inspired. Many of God's greatest prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist were inspired, yet they did not write any books of the Bible. Ellen White's writings may be described as a lesser light to lead to the greater light, the Bible. They act as an inspired commentary on Scripture, but the Bible is still the supreme authority. Second Test - Teach the Truth About Jesus Ellen White's bookssuch as The Desire of Ages, Christ's Object Lessons, Steps to Christ, and Thoughts from the Mount of Blessingall testify to her fulfillment of this test. She says nothing of herself in these volumes, but constantly points others to Jesus. Third Test - A Godly Life The press, commenting on the death of Ellen White, said: "The life of Mrs. White is an example worthy of emulation by all. ... She was a humble, devout disciple of Christ, and ever went about doing good. ... She was honored and respected by all who appreciate noble womanhood consecrated to unselfish labor for the uplifting and betterment of mankind. Her death marks the calling of another noted leader of religious thought and one whose almost ninety years were full to overflowing with good deeds, kind words, and earnest prayers for all mankind."3 Fourth Test - Accurate Prophecies The few prophecies of the future made by Ellen White can be easily validated. The following prediction reads like this morning's newspaper, but was written before most modern means of travel were invented. "Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent confusion, collision, and death without a moment's warning will occur on the great lines of travel."4 Ellen White lived during a time when doctors advocated smoking to benefit the lungs. Varying medical opinions existed, but no real scientific proof was available. Nutrition was an unknown science. Yet in this setting, Ellen White wrote volumes in the field of health and nutrition. Dr. Clive McCay, former professor of nutrition at Cornell University, confirmed the accuracy of Ellen White's writings in the field of nutrition: "In spite of the fact that the works of Mrs. White were written long before the advent of modern scientific nutrition, no better overall guide is available today."5 The Bible predicted that in the last days the prophetic gift would appear. Evidence declares that Ellen White met every Bible specification for a true prophet. We would encourage you to obtain and read some of her writings and follow the biblical injunction to "despise not prophesyings. Prove all things hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21. 1The Great Controversy (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1950), p. 204, 205. 2 Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1949), Vol. 2, p. 605. 3 Star (St. Helena, California), July 23, 1915. 4 Messages to Young People (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1930), p. 90 (reprinted from article in The Signs of the Times, April 21, 1890). 5 Clive M. McCay, "A Nutritional Authority Discusses Mrs. E.G. White," Review and Herald, February 26, 1959, p. 10. To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Sabbath, please visit your local Seventh-day Adventist Church. Or please visit us at Rossville Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 1737 Mission Ridge Road, Rossville Georgia 30741 Pastor; Greg Hudson Services start at 11am on Saturday (Sabbath) morning.

My Rabbit Trail Morning Otherwise Known as a Saturday at Rina’s House Have you ever had a time in your life, that you’re juggling so many things, that it feels like you’re in the middle of a baseball diamond, surrounded by pitching machines, all set on highspeed, lobbing an endless supply of balls at you? And you can’t get any of them done. That’s me right now. I’m tired. This last year, has been crazy. In trying to learn how to do a simple radio show (that turned into multiple video platforms, then TV), new job, new business, and a few health issues—not to mention a crazy hoard of demonic highly-aggressive wasps who’ve built an endless supply of nests outside, determined to take over my property… in league with a poison ivy infestation, that won’t let me venture safely outside… I’ve become far too busy, and sedentary. Everything I do requires sitting. My waistline has suffered. My house has suffered. It used to be neat. It used to be nicely arranged. Now, with a chihuahua who insists that the floor be covered in toys, extra treats, and anything paper she can shred, along with endless stacks of paperwork, shows to record and edit, thumbnails to make, book covers to design, proofreading, editing, and fighting with Amazon because I don’t want to exchange the perfectly good barcode I purchased for one of theirs, it takes a backseat to ‘have to’s.’ Now… its bothering me. So… I made a list. I’m a list maker. I always have been. I make it, arrange it from the worst and the least favorite to the better, so it gets easier rather than harder, and prioritize ‘have to’s. Then, I get busy. It’s sooo satisfying to mark off the finished tasks. It feels good. I used to measure myself or accomplishments by the list being done at the end of the day. But lately, lists don’t work. I make them. I order them. Then, I go sit and write a chapter. I’m not sure why I can’t pull it together. I’m a task accomplisher. I went to bed at 2 this morning, after an evening of proofreading. (no… that’s not it. That’s normal for me when I’m not working the next day). This morning, I got up to write—usual for a Saturday. But got derailed, answering an email. Then another one. Then I proofread three chapters, because my mind couldn’t write. I went to put on a load of clothes, stopped to vacuum a fan covered in winter dust, and ended up disassembling it, cleaning it and setting it outside, where I had to fight off a wasp attack. They were waiting for me. Then I stripped the bed, found a book I’d lost, and stopped to read. I texted a client, added to the list, paid my house payment and roof payment, made tea, drank a dr pepper instead, and hung up the clothes I’d washed earlier. I know when I’m upset—and I am—but it took me a while to define it. One: it’s allergy season, and a dull headache is involved. Two: I read an article this week that deeply disturbed me. I’m having issues with it. A young woman in another country was purposely euthanized this week. Her parents fought it, but lost. As a parent, it hit hard. I was an infertility patient, and jumped through many hoops to be a mother. Life is precious to me. Especially their’s. People protest wars. They protest to live wicked lifestyles. They protest the cost of coffee. But our kids are being murdered. Not just by others, but by their own hand. Our world has hurt them so badly—and quite frankly their own choices… she was disabled due to a failed suicide attempt—that death is preferable. Why? I’m watching the wars around the world, totally ticked, while acknowledging Jesus said that they’d happen. That doesn’t help. A profound sadness fills me today. We’re all human. I refuse to acknowledge different ‘races.’ Maybe different colors, sizes, ethnicities, cultures, and ideologies, but not race. We are the HUMAN RACE. Period. We all need clean water, food, shelter, and energy to live our lives. Our children need care. We all need love, support, and resources. We need fun and recreation. Something I’ve lost since the lockdown, and income becoming so much more difficult to create. The issue is: people determined to have more, at the cost of others having less, or none. We’d all argue about who those people are, and hold different opinions about it all. But at the end of the day, we all lose. Goods unable to be shipped. Prices rising. Oil refineries bombed. Hospitals bombed. Homes, businesses, all kinds of things. People being sent to fight battles they didn’t start. People die. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, siblings… people who give us structure and stability. People we love and need. God said it would happen. He told us in advance. I know that. But it hurts. Its scary. I drive 45 minutes each way for my day job. Gas went up over $1.25. Its hard. Food goes up. I got a new charge on my electric bill for over $50 per month. My gas bill too. My paycheck did not go up. Medicines are being pushed on people, and if you refuse them your chart has ‘non-compliant’ on it. That affects your life insurance rate. I’m a broker. I know. Why? Why do people do such stupid things? Infrastructure that took years to build and pay for, gone in an instant. Did it change the other persons (country’s) mind, heart, or ideology? No. Did it stop evil people from the desire to do evil deeds? No. Only a true heart change, made by Jesus creating a brand-new person out of you, can. This world is on a fast track to Armageddon, and as I watch prophesy unfold, something inside is protesting. My calling is to win the lost. But the lost doesn’t want to be won. The lost wants to shoot the messengers, and blow up our homes. Churches are losing people at an alarming rate, that choose the ways of the fallen ones. But they still refuse to teach the fundamental truths of the kingdom war. The war of the ages. The war against the throne of God, His ways, and His people. The truth that unless you repent and obey God’s laws, you will be separated from Him, and the wonderfulness of an eternity that doesn’t have evil anymore. That won’t stop. I guess what I’m really upset about, is that now, the devil not only kills, steals, and destroys… and his minions do too… now he’s got too many in an internal suffering so deep, that we choose to do it for him. Not only to one another, but now to ourselves. Sin has consequences. Who we serve, does too. It changes us. It creates a culture of death. How did that happen? Drop your comment, please. I need to hear another voice today, besides the endless looping in my head, while I try to deal with the effects of evil, a lost child that parents will never stop grieving, end-time prophecy fulfilling, and juggling too much, when I want to go hike, drive somewhere, talk to someone loving and sane… or sit and write stories of people who love rather than destroy. Decide which side of this kingdom war you want to be on. Its God’s way or the way of the fallen ones. Those who love and build, and obey God’s laws verses those who kill, steal, and destroy, while living in as much rebellion as possible. While you’re doing that, I’ll wander around the house, ticked off, randomly cleaning something, eating something, folding something, tripping over dog toys, doing insurance quotes, looking out the window at a world I don’t have time, energy, or gas money to explore any more, while trying to get my fragmented tail in the chair to finish my taxes. UGH. Sometimes the enemy of peace, is simply the price of trying to survive, while doing your best to utilize your talents, skills, and making the dream happen. For now, life goes on… but I’m reminded we have to work while it is day… the night is swiftly approaching where no man (or overworked woman) will be able to work. I told myself, “Pull up those big girl pants, chick. You can’t stop, until then.” Maybe the glass of tea and my characters need me for a few more minutes. I created the community I’d like to be a part of, after failing to find it. (Yeah… my own brand of crazy…) Then, I’ll actually get started (yeah… right…) I’ll leave you a quote from the book I’m working on, now. It’s the creed, the organization he’s a part of, lives and works by. It seems to fit my current mood, and may possibly help the spiritual pain I feel, while watching an entire world that was offered the position of joint heir with the son of God, choose to follow those who want to drag them straight to hell, and destroy them, instead. Pray for my heart today. It’s in turmoil.

AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY. A/F # 24 Hello friends, family, and my brothers, and sisters in Christ. This is Brother Johnny Gass. Welcome to Bible study. Study to show thyself to approved unto God, a Workman unashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 Please share these lessons with everyone you know for the expansion of the kingdom of God. Amazing Facts # 24 Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics? If some self-proclaimed prophet suddenly arose and began drawing crowds with stirring messages, healing the sick, raising the dead, bringing fire from heaven, and revealing knowledge of your personal secrets - would you believe in him or her? Should you believe? Your ultimate destiny just might be tied directly to your ability to distinguish between true and false prophets. So it's very important to know what the Bible really says about this timely subject! 1. Does the Bible teach that there will be true prophets in the last days of earth? "In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." Acts 2:17. Answer: Yes, both men and women will prophesy in the last days (Joel 2:28-32). 2. Jesus at His ascension placed the gift of "prophets" in His church, along with four other gifts: apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:7-11). Why did God place these gifts in the church? "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:12. Answer: Jesus gave all five gifts for the perfecting of the saints. The perfecting of God's end-time church is not possible if any of these five gifts is missing. 3. In Bible days, was the gift of prophecy limited to men? Answer: No! In addition to many men who had the gift of prophecy, God also gave the gift to at least eight women: Anna (Luke 2:36-38); Miriam (Exodus 15:20); Deborah (Judges 4:4); Huldah (2 Kings 22:14); and the four daughters of Philip, an evangelist (Acts 21:8, 9). The Bible says that God gives the gift of prophecy to both men and women. 4. How long were these gifts to remain in His church? "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Ephesians 4:13. Answer: They will remain until God's people are all unified, mature Christians--which, of course, will be at the end of time. 5. From what source do true prophets obtain their information? "Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21. Answer: Prophets speak as they are "moved by the Holy Ghost." The word "ghost" comes from "ghast", the old English word for "spirit," so today we usually say Holy "Spirit". Prophets do not express their own private opinions in spiritual matters. Their thoughts come from Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. Prophets speak as their thoughts are guided by the Holy Spirit. 6. God speaks to prophets in three different ways. What are these ways? "If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." "With him will I speak mouth to mouth." Numbers 12:6, 8. Answer: Visions, dreams, or face to face. God usually speaks to a prophet through visions and dreams. 7. What are the physical evidences of a true prophet in vision? Answer: A. Will initially lose physical strength (Daniel 10:8). B. May later receive supernatural strength (Daniel 10:18, 19). C. No breath in the body (Daniel 10:17). D. Able to speak (Daniel 10:16). E. Won't be aware of earthly surroundings (Daniel 10:5-8; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). F. Eyes will be open (Numbers 24:4). Note: Though the preceding six Bible points are physical evidences of a true prophet in vision, not all of them always appear together. A prophet's vision may be genuine without manifesting all six evidences. 8. Is the working of great miracles proof that a prophet is of God? "They are the spirits of devils, working miracles." Revelation 16:14. Answer: No! The devil and his emissaries also have the power to work miracles. Miracles prove only one thing: supernatural power. But such power comes from both God and Satan (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Revelation 13:13, 14). Miracle working is no proof that a prophet is of God. 9. Of what perilous end-time danger does Jesus warn us? "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24. Answer: God warns us of false Christs and false prophets who will be so extremely convincing that they will deceive all except the very elect of God. Billions will be deceived and lost. In the last days, false prophets will be so convincing that they will cause billions to be deceived and lost. 10. How can I determine whether a prophet is true or false? "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20. Answer: Test their teachings and conduct by the Word of God, which is the Bible. If they teach and behave contrary to Scripture, they are false prophets and "there is no light in them." Prophets must be tested by Scripture. 11. Are certain types of false prophets specifically named and condemned in the Bible? Answer: Yes. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 and Revelation 21:8 speak against the following types of false prophets: A. Charmer --one who casts spells or uses charms. B. Observer of times --astrologer. C. Sorcerer --one who claims to contact spirits of the dead. D. Consulter with familiar spirits --medium, or channeler. E. User of divination --fortune teller. F. Enchanter --same as a charmer. G. Necromancer --another name for sorcerer. H. Witch --female psychic. I. Wizard --male psychic. Psychics and diviners who claim to be guided by spirits of the dead are not led of God. Note: Most of these false prophets claim to have contact with spirits of the dead. The Bible clearly states that the dead cannot be contacted by the living. (Study Guide 10 contains more information on death.) The supposed spirits of the dead are evil angels, or devils (Revelation 16:13, 14). Crystal balls, palm reading, leaf deciphering, astrology, and talking with the supposed spirits of the dead are not God's ways of communicating with people. The Scriptures teach plainly that all who become involved with such things are an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:12). And worse, those who continue involvement will be shut out of God's kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8; 22:14, 15). God does not speak to His people through crystal balls. 12. Is a true prophet's work primarily to serve the church or to serve unbelievers? "Prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe." 1 Corinthians 14:22. Answer: The Bible is clear. Although a prophet's message may sometimes edify the public, the primary purpose of prophecy is to serve the church. A prophet of God will primarily serve the church rather than the general public. 13. Does God's end-time church have the gift of prophecy? Answer: In Study Guide 23, we discovered that Jesus gives a six-point description of His end-time church. Let's review these six points: A. It would not exist as an official organization between A.D. 538 and 1798. B. It would arise and do its work after 1798. C. It would keep the Ten Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment. D. It would have the gift of prophecy. E. It would be a worldwide missionary church. F. It would be teaching and preaching Jesus' three-point message of Revelation 14:6-14. It is important to remember that God's end-time remnant church must fit all six of Jesus' descriptive points. This means that the gift of prophecy must be included. It will have a prophet. 14. When you join God's end-time church, which has all of the gifts, how will it affect you? "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Ephesians 4:14. Answer: It will anchor you spiritually. You will no longer be uncertain and unsettled in your beliefs. Joining God's church, which has all the gifts, will anchor you spiritually. 15. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:1-18, likens the gifts that Jesus gave the church to parts of the body. What part of the body best represents the gift of prophecy? "Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer." 1 Samuel 9:9. Answer: Since a prophet is sometimes called a seer (someone who can see into the future), the eyes would best represent the gift of prophecy. The eye of the church symbolize prophecy. 16. Since prophecy is the eyes of the church, a church without the gift of prophecy would be in what condition? Answer: It would be blind. Jesus referred to the subsequent dangers when He said, "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Matthew 15:14. A church without the gift of prophecy is blind. 17. Must God's remnant church have all the gifts that Christ gave? Answer: Yes. The Scripture plainly teaches that God's end-time remnant church will "come behind in no gift", which means it must have all of the gifts, including the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 1:5-8). 18. Revelation 12:17 points out that God's end-time remnant church will "have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 19:10 says that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Can we be sure this means that the church will have a prophet? Answer: Yes. An angel told John in Revelation 19:10 that he was John's "fellowservant", one of his "brethren" who have the testimony of Jesus. This same angel repeated the identical information to John in Revelation 22:9. He said, "I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets." Notice this time he called himself a prophet rather than one with the testimony of Jesus. So, obviously, having the "testimony of Jesus" and being a prophet mean the same thing. 19. Of what other special significance are the words "the testimony of Jesus"? Answer: The "testimony of Jesus" means that the words of a prophet are from Jesus. We are thus to regard the words of a true prophet as a special message from Jesus to us (Revelation 1:1; Amos 3:7). To bring reproach, in any way, upon a true prophet is an extremely dangerous matter. It is the same as bringing reproach upon Jesus, who sends them and guides them. No wonder God warns, "Do my prophets no harm." Psalms 105:15. The words of a true prophet are a special message from Jesus to His people. 20. What are the Bible qualifications for a true prophet? Answer: The Bible testing points for a true prophet are as follows: A. Live a godly life (Matthew 7:15-20). B. Be called to service by God (Isaiah 6:1-10; Jeremiah 1:5-10; Amos 7:14, 15). C. Speak and write in harmony with the Bible (Isaiah 8:19, 20). D. Predict events that will come true (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). E. Will have visions (Numbers 12:6). 21. Did God send a prophet to His end-time remnant church? Answer: Yes, He did! Here are the brief details: God Calls a Young Woman God's end-time church began to form in the early 1840s and desperately needed guidance. So, in harmony with His promise of Amos 3:7, God then called a young woman named Ellen Harmon to be His prophetess. Ellen accepted the call. She had been injured in an accident at age nine and had to quit school with only three years of formal education. Her health deteriorated until, when called by God at age 17, she weighed only 70 pounds and had been given up to die. She Served 70 Years Ellen accepted God's call with the understanding that He would enable her physically and keep her humble. She lived an additional 70 years and died at age 87. She insisted that her aim and work were to point the church and its members to the Bible--which was to be its creed--and to Jesus' free gift of righteousness. Ellen fulfilled every test of a prophet mentioned in this Study Guide. Her Pen Name and Books Ellen married James White, a clergyman, and wrote under the name Ellen G. White. She became one of the world's most prolific woman writers. Her books, read worldwide, give inspired counsel on health, education, temperance, the Christian home, parenting, publishing and writing, assisting the needy, stewardship, evangelism, Christian living, and more. Her book Education is considered an authority in its field. It has been used by a secular university as a textbook. It is so perceptive and relevant that it was once plagiarized by the minister of education of a certain nation, who published it under his own name. Dr. Florence Stratemeyer, a former professor of education at Columbia University, said the book contained "advanced educational concepts" and "was more than fifty years ahead of its time." Dr. Clive McCay, former professor of nutrition at Cornell University, said of her writings on health: "In spite of the fact that the works of Mrs. White were written long before the advent of modern scientific nutrition, no better overall guide is available today." Newscaster Paul Harvey said she "wrote with such profound understanding on the subject of nutrition that all but two of the many principles she espoused have been scientifically established." Her book The Desire of Ages, on the life of Christ, has been labeled an "English masterpiece" by Stationers Hall in London. It is heartwarming and uplifting beyond description. She said on the subject of intelligence that a person's IQ could be increased--long before experts agreed. She said in 1905 that cancer is a germ (or virus), which medical science began to endorse only in the 1950s. Ellen G. White is said to be the fourth-most-translated writer of all time. Her book on Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been translated into more than 150 languages and dialects. (For a free copy of this inspiring book, please write to Amazing Facts.) 22. Did Ellen White have visions? Answer: Yes, many of them. They lasted from a few minutes to six hours. And they meet the Bible standard for visions as outlined in the answer to question seven of this Study Guide. Ellen White had many visions, all of which meet the Bible standard for a true prophet in vision. 23. Are Ellen White's words intended to be part of the Bible, or an addition to the Bible? Answer: No! Doctrine comes from the Bible alone. As an end-time prophet, her aim was to stress the love of Jesus and His imminent return. She urged people to serve Him and accept His righteousness as a free gift. She also directed people's attention to the Bible prophecies for the end time--especially Jesus' three-point message for the world today (Revelation 14:6-14)--and urged that they share these messages of hope quickly and worldwide. 24. Does Ellen White speak in harmony with the Scriptures? Answer: Yes! Her writings are saturated with Scripture. Her stated and obvious purpose was to point people to the Bible. Her words never contradict God's Word. 25. How can I accept Ellen White as a true prophet, since I do not know what she wrote? Answer: You can't, until you read what she has written. However, you can know that she (1) meets the tests of a prophet, (2) did the work of a prophet, and that (3) God's true end-time church must have a prophet. We urge you to get one of her books and read it. (An inexpensive paperback copy of The Desire of Ages may be purchased from Amazing Facts, Inc.) As you read it, ask yourself if it draws you to Jesus and if it is in harmony with the Bible. It was written for you. We think you will find it absolutely enthralling. 26. What three-point command does Paul give us regarding a prophet? Answer: "Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21. The apostle Paul says that we should not despise or "tune out" a prophet. But rather, we should carefully test what the prophet says and does by the Bible. If a prophet's words and behavior are in harmony with the Bible, we should heed them. This is what Jesus asks of His end-time people today. 27. How does Jesus regard the rejection of the words and counsel of a true prophet? Answer: Jesus counts the rejection of a true prophet as rejecting the counsel of God (Luke 7:28-30). Further, He clearly states that spiritual prosperity hinges upon believing His prophets (2 Chronicles 20:20). 28. Do true end-time prophets originate new doctrine, or does doctrine come strictly from the Bible? Answer: True end-time prophets do not originate doctrine (Revelation 22:18, 19). The Bible is the source of all doctrine. However, true prophets do: A. Reveal exciting new facets of old-time Bible doctrines that were not obvious until pointed out by the prophet (Amos 3:7). B. Lead God's people to a closer walk with Jesus and a deeper study of His Word. C. Help God's people understand difficult, unclear, or unnoticed portions of the Bible so that they suddenly come to life for us and bring great joy. D. Help protect God's people from fanaticism, deception, and spiritual stupor. E. Help God's people understand end-time prophecies which, verified by everyday news events, suddenly take on new meaning. F. Help God's people sense the certainty of Jesus' soon return and the end of the world. For a deepening love for Jesus, a vibrant new excitement about the Bible, and a fresh understanding of Bible prophecies--listen to God's end-time prophet. You will find life taking on glorious new dimensions. Remember, Jesus says He will bless His end-time church with most-helpful prophetic messages. Praise the Lord! He is doing everything heaven can think of for His end-time people. He intends to save His people and take them to His glorious eternal kingdom. Those who follow Him are guaranteed entrance to heaven (Matthew 19:27-29). Note: This is the ninth and final Study Guide on the subject of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-14. Three fascinating Study Guides on other crucial subjects remain. Thought Questions 1. What happens when a church does not have a prophet? Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision [prophecy], the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18. When a church does not have a prophet to counsel, guide, and lead it back to Jesus and the Bible, the people will flounder in a disoriented manner (Psalms 74:9) and eventually perish. 2. Do you think additional true prophets may appear between now and Jesus' second coming? Joel 2:28 Based on Joel's prophecy (Joel 2:28-32), it certainly appears possible. There also will be false prophets (Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 24). We must be prepared to test prophets by the Bible (Isaiah 8:19, 20; 2 Timothy 2:15), heeding their counsel only if they are genuine and rejecting them if they are counterfeit. God knows when prophets are needed to wake people up, warn them, and turn them to Jesus and His Word. He sent a prophet (Moses) to lead His people out of Egypt (Hosea 12:13). He sent a prophet (John the Baptist) to prepare people for Jesus' first coming (Mark 1:1-8). He also promised prophetic messages for these end-time days. God sends them to point us to the Bible and its crucial end-time prophecies; to strengthen, encourage, and assure us; and to make us like Jesus so we will be "blameless" when the Master returns. Without the help of a prophet, many will be lost through backsliding, sleeping spiritually, and being too busy. So let's welcome prophetic messages and praise God for sending them for our personal good. 3. Why do most churches today not have the gift of prophecy? Lamentations 2:9 Because God normally sends prophets to His church only when it is keeping His commandments. Notice how Lamentations 2:9 puts it: "The law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord." Please review the following texts: Ezekiel 7:26; Jeremiah 26:4-6; Ezekiel 20:12-16; and Proverbs 29:18. These verses verify that when God's people disregard His commandments, He sends no prophet. When they begin to obey His commands, He sends a prophet to assist, encourage, and guide. So when God's remnant church for the end time emerged keeping His commandments, it was time for a prophet. And God sent one--right on schedule. 4. What can I do to make the gift of prophecy meaningful to me? 1 Corinthians 1:8 The way to make the gift of prophecy meaningful is to study it for yourself and follow it prayerfully so Jesus can guide and preserve you and prepare you for His coming. "I thank my God always ... That in every thing ye are enriched by him, ... Even as the testimony of Christ [spirit of prophecy] was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:4-8. 5. Which of these two--the gift of prophecy or the gift of tongues--will play the major role in God's end-time remnant church? 1 Corinthians 12:10 The gift of prophecy will play the leading role. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 it is listed as second in importance of all the gifts, while the gift of tongues is listed last. A church without the gift of prophecy is blind (see question 16 in this Study Guide). Jesus solemnly warns His end-time church of the danger of blindness and urges them to anoint their eyes with heavenly eyesalve so they will be able to see (Revelation 3:17, 18). The eyesalve represents the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27; John 14:26), who gives all gifts to the church (1 Corinthians 12:4, 7-11). Heeding the words of God's prophet will help His end-time remnant people clearly understand the Bible and will prevent uncertainty and confusion. 6. I believe in "the Bible and the Bible only" as the source of doctrine and guidance for Christian living. Therefore, I reject all modern-day prophets. Ephesians 4:11 You are correct in believing in the Bible as the source of Christian doctrine. However, please remember that the Bible clearly points out that: A. The gift of prophecy will exist in God's church until the end of time (Ephesians 4:11, 13). B. Jesus' end-time church will have the gift of prophecy (Revelation 12:17; 19:10; 22:9). C. To reject a prophet's counsel is to reject God's counsel (Luke 7:28-30). D. We are commanded to test prophets and follow their counsel if they speak and live in harmony with the Bible (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21). People who base their faith on "the Bible only" must follow its counsel regarding prophets. True prophets will always speak in harmony with the Bible. Prophets who contradict God's Word are false and should be rejected. If I fail to listen to and test prophets, I am not basing my faith upon the Bible, which mandates doing so. To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Sabbath, please visit your local Seventh-day Adventist Church. Or please visit us at Rossville Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 1737 Mission Ridge Road, Rossville Georgia 30741 Pastor; Greg Hudson Services start at 11am on Saturday (Sabbath) morning.

Good evening, brethren. Evening devotion for today. i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* SUNDAY 8TH MARCH, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* THE GRACE OF GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES. *TOPIC:* DISAPPOINTMENT. *TEXT:* PSALM 22:1-5. 1 My God! My God! Why have You abandoned me? Why are You so far from delivering me— from my groaning words? Mat 27:46 Mar 15:34 2 My God, I cry out to You throughout the day, but You do not answer; and throughout the night, but I have no rest. 3 You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 Our ancestors trusted in You; they trusted and You delivered them. 5 They cried out to You and escaped; they trusted in You and were not put to shame. Psa 25:3 Psa 31:1 Isa 49:23 Rom 9:33 [Psa 25:2] [Psa 71:1] *TOPIC:* DISAPPOINTMENT. *THE MESSAGE:* Disappointment is a common life-crushing reaction to unpleasantness. This may spell despair and distrust. In this text, David endures the hardship of abandonment in his time and forecasts accurately that of the coming Messiah. Their call on God for help seems unnoticed. But through their sufferings, they gained victory. David's deepest pain produced the highest songs of praise, while Jesus' crucifixion necessitated His resurrection, thus triumphing over sin, shame, and death. Disappointments in life are common. For example, a young man jilts a lady on the verge of marriage, and a child full of potential develops an addiction. When you feel disappointed, turn to God for grace to sustain you. *REFLECTION:* God can turn disappointment into blessings. *PRAYER:* I need Your abundant grace to overcome my pains, Lord. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* ROMANS 8:28. And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* JUDGES 1-3. i. Skip to content Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth Posted onMarch 8, 2026 by Editor The Father’s Forgiveness Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals Father, Forgive them for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 List of Sinners It was Christ Who uttered these words and many people come to mind:- The cruel Roman soldiers; Pilate; Caiaphas; Judas; the Sanhedrin – the angry mob that screamed “Crucify” – Israel’s leaders in their jealousy? But the list isn’t exhausted in those names in the latter chapters of the gospel. You were included in Christ’s gracious, “THEM” You were in that list of unworthy sinners, and so was I. Tender Forgiveness He was praying His gracious words of tender forgiveness over you, and He was praying His precious words of loving pardon over me too. ‘Oh no,’ you may argue ‘I am not that bad, I’m different, I couldn’t do that!‘ But you as good as held the nails that pierced His hands, and so did I. We are as bad as the mockers, those that spat and the angry mob. The air as good a rang with your piercing scream of ‘Crucify” – as of mine. I helped crucify the Lord Jesus and so did you. Gracious Words The words ‘Father Forgive‘ – were pleaded for you and for me. The words ‘Father Forgive‘ – grace my brow as they do yours. Are we who have been so beautifully, and so freely forgiven by the Lord – are we unwilling to forgive the ones that have wounded and hurt us so much? Sin of Unforgiveness Many people complain that they can’t forgive or they will not forgive, Yet the sin of unforgiveness so often entraps our souls with dark bitterness. Unforgiveness is one of the main blockages to the presence of God; Unforgiveness can turn the heart of flesh into an icy heart of cold stone. Unlocking Resentment Corrie ten Boom who watched her beloved sister die in a Nazi death-camp said: “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment. Forgiveness is the thing that removes the handcuffs of hate. Forgiveness breaks that power that chains bitterness. Forgiveness unfastens the shackles of selfishness.” Paul reminds us that: “God forgave us ALL our sins” Col.2:13 – only one of which is sufficient to secure the eternal wages of death and hell. Full Forgiveness Jesus is the only one Who could proclaim God’s full forgiveness. He proclaimed full and free pardon instead of pronouncing the required penalty, and in the brief prayer He taught His disciples, Jesus included forgiveness. In that exemplary prayer, He included a profound statement:- Forgive – Forgive as you have been forgiven. Matt.6:12 Heavenly Quality Forgiveness is a beautiful heavenly quality that touches the heart of God, When you fully recognise how the Father has forgiven you of your sins – it becomes not only easier to forgive – but a vital necessity. God’s Forgiveness Yes, we are certainly supposed to love and forgive those that sin against us, yet forgiveness does not come easily to any one of us. It is the Holy Spirit Who is the One, Who can fill our hearts with God’s love and forgiveness. He is the One, that can enable us to forgive those that wound and hurt and betray us – Pursue His Love But before waiting for things to happen to enable forgiveness to be applied. we should seek to be proactive in asking that His love fill us to overflowing. Pursuit of His Love should be a conscious part of our prayer-time. We should seek to be filled with His love that surpasses understanding. Jesus loves us so much that He is at the Father’s side… interceding for us. Hardened the Heart The famous words, “I can forgive but I can NEVER forget,” is a couched way of saying I cannot forgive – and I will not forgive. This is a very dangerous and unwise attitude of heart – for it is a big step towards the “hardening of the heart” that is seen in Pharaoh. You note that during the first few plagues Pharaoh hardened his own heart, but in the end, it was the LORD that hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Don’t allow unforgiveness to harden your heart to this extent, but rather seek the Lord to soften your heart, and if necessary to break your heart. Buried Unforgiveness Equally harmful to the soul is the pretence that we have forgiven another, when in fact we have only buried the pain in the depths of our being.. allowing it to resurface periodically to our own harm and often to the hurt of others – hiding behind a mask of normality while unforgiveness burns in our soul. Father Forgive Buried unforgiveness is at the root of most relational difficulties, but forgiveness melts the hardening casement around a hardened heart. When you pray, say “Father forgive – as we forgive others.” Post navigation Previous Post Previous God’s Little Remnant Proudly powered by WordPress. 2. Evening Prayer for today. i. Evening Prayer But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⏤ Romans 5:8 The prayer of faith is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God. ⏤ John Bunyan O God of love, we offer You our heartfelt thanks for all Your mercies, but especially for Your unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, Your Son, in whom all gifts and blessings are included. We thank You that You loved us in our sin, not waiting for us to come to You with our love to win Your love, but that You demonstrated Your love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. We humbly adore this wonderful love, without which we would have perished forever in our sins. O may our hearts respond to Your love. Our love is so small in comparison with Yours—so unworthy, so fickle, and uncertain, that we are ashamed to offer it to You. Have mercy upon us, O God, and grant us more of Your grace and of Your Holy Spirit, that our love may be deepened and strengthened. May this Sunday be blessed to us. Fix in our hearts all the good things we have heard and learned. Sanctify to us all our worship, the instruction we have received, and the holy impressions made upon us. Accept what we have tried to do to help and bless others. Bless us again as a family as we bow at Your feet. Give us many rich blessings out of Your grace. Bless our time together today. May our home friendships grow deeper and more tender. Teach us how to love each other better. Preserve us from those miserable little faults that mar the life of love in so many homes—criticism, impatience, discourtesy, thoughtlessness, lack of gentleness. May love abound in each heart, so that our home life may be sweet and full of blessing. We come beneath the shadow of Your wings as we go to our rest. Keep us, enrich us with all goodness and mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/63/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion. Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. i. 😀🌺🌹🎁🎀💝 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY. SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2026. "TOUCHING JESUS" ‘If I can just touch [Him], I will be healed.’ Mark 5:28 NLT MARK RECORDS the story of a woman who’d haemorrhaged for twelve years and spent every penny she had on doctors, but to no avail. What western culture discreetly refers to as ‘a female condition’ had devastated this Jewish lady’s life. Sexually, she couldn’t touch her husband. Maternally, she couldn’t have children. Domestically, whatever she touched was considered ‘unclean’. Spiritually, she couldn’t enter the temple. So, physically exhausted, socially ostracised, and spiritually depleted, she thought, ‘If I can just touch Jesus, I’ll be made whole’. Her miracle started when she thought about Jesus. But first she had to get through the crowd that stood between her and Him. And so will you! The crowd has its arguments and reasons, but not one of them is worth missing Jesus for. When this woman finally got to Him, two wonderful things happened: 1) She discovered that our faith gets Jesus’ attention every time. Many people in the crowd must have brushed up against Jesus that day, yet Mark records, ‘…Knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, [He] turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”’ (v. 30 NKJV). Understand this: Jesus can tell the difference between a casual churchgoer and a truly hungry heart that pushes through pain, problems, and pressures, and touches Him by faith. 2) She’s the only woman Jesus ever called ‘…daughter…’ (v. 34 NKJV). Imagine how she felt. She probably couldn’t remember when she’d last heard a kind word. You’re not just a face in the crowd, and your problem is not too big for Jesus. Today, reach out in faith, touch Him, and be made whole! Bible In A Year: Exo 36-38, Luke 15:1-10 , Pro 7:10-20. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation💝🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌷🎀💝🌹. ii. REBELLION, THE SIN OF WITCHCRAFT "Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols." - 1Samuel 15:23 When people think of witchcraft, they mostly think of magic sticks, flying broomsticks, strange spells, dark rooms, glass balls and other practices from the darkness. Rarely do they think of manipulation, intimidation and dominance. Witchcraft is simply demonic. It is how the evil one makes his will yours without you noticing it. He gains power over your emotions and behavior. This is why people do things that they actually do not want to do. They do it because the will of the evil one has become their will. Why are there so many rebellious young people who cause trouble? The root of most problems Rebellion is the root of most problems. Rebellion is deeply rooted in the mind of man. In the Netherlands many organizations are working on solving this problem and are looking for the cause of it. However, the true source cannot be found because they are searching in the wrong place. The right place to look for it is its root! Many of these rebellious youths are enchanted by the power of sin and they do not even realize this. You may not believe this, but you will also find sorcery in churches. You will find this evil spirit everywhere. God said: 'You must get rid of the sin from among you.' Paul clearly states in Galatians 5:19-20 that witchcraft is the work of the flesh. Since the garden of Eden, man did not want to submit to or obey God. The spirit of rebellion is everywhere. However, God's Spirit wants to clearly speak to you today if you are still suffering from that spirit of rebellion. Begin to tackle the root, the cause. How can we deal with this sinful spirit of Lucifer, the greatest rebel that has ever existed? The Bible gives the answer. Peter says in Acts 2:38: 1) repent; 2) be baptized; 3) be filled with the Holy Spirit. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Morning Prayer for today. i. Evening Prayer But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⏤ Romans 5:8 The prayer of faith is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God. ⏤ John Bunyan O God of love, we offer You our heartfelt thanks for all Your mercies, but especially for Your unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, Your Son, in whom all gifts and blessings are included. We thank You that You loved us in our sin, not waiting for us to come to You with our love to win Your love, but that You demonstrated Your love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. We humbly adore this wonderful love, without which we would have perished forever in our sins. O may our hearts respond to Your love. Our love is so small in comparison with Yours—so unworthy, so fickle, and uncertain, that we are ashamed to offer it to You. Have mercy upon us, O God, and grant us more of Your grace and of Your Holy Spirit, that our love may be deepened and strengthened. May this Sunday be blessed to us. Fix in our hearts all the good things we have heard and learned. Sanctify to us all our worship, the instruction we have received, and the holy impressions made upon us. Accept what we have tried to do to help and bless others. Bless us again as a family as we bow at Your feet. Give us many rich blessings out of Your grace. Bless our time together today. May our home friendships grow deeper and more tender. Teach us how to love each other better. Preserve us from those miserable little faults that mar the life of love in so many homes—criticism, impatience, discourtesy, thoughtlessness, lack of gentleness. May love abound in each heart, so that our home life may be sweet and full of blessing. We come beneath the shadow of Your wings as we go to our rest. Keep us, enrich us with all goodness and mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/63/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. i. 😀🌺🌹🎁🎀💝 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY. SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2026. "TOUCHING JESUS" ‘If I can just touch [Him], I will be healed.’ Mark 5:28 NLT MARK RECORDS the story of a woman who’d haemorrhaged for twelve years and spent every penny she had on doctors, but to no avail. What western culture discreetly refers to as ‘a female condition’ had devastated this Jewish lady’s life. Sexually, she couldn’t touch her husband. Maternally, she couldn’t have children. Domestically, whatever she touched was considered ‘unclean’. Spiritually, she couldn’t enter the temple. So, physically exhausted, socially ostracised, and spiritually depleted, she thought, ‘If I can just touch Jesus, I’ll be made whole’. Her miracle started when she thought about Jesus. But first she had to get through the crowd that stood between her and Him. And so will you! The crowd has its arguments and reasons, but not one of them is worth missing Jesus for. When this woman finally got to Him, two wonderful things happened: 1) She discovered that our faith gets Jesus’ attention every time. Many people in the crowd must have brushed up against Jesus that day, yet Mark records, ‘…Knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, [He] turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”’ (v. 30 NKJV). Understand this: Jesus can tell the difference between a casual churchgoer and a truly hungry heart that pushes through pain, problems, and pressures, and touches Him by faith. 2) She’s the only woman Jesus ever called ‘…daughter…’ (v. 34 NKJV). Imagine how she felt. She probably couldn’t remember when she’d last heard a kind word. You’re not just a face in the crowd, and your problem is not too big for Jesus. Today, reach out in faith, touch Him, and be made whole! Bible In A Year: Exo 36-38, Luke 15:1-10 , Pro 7:10-20. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation💝🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌷🎀💝🌹. ii. REBELLION, THE SIN OF WITCHCRAFT "Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols." - 1Samuel 15:23 When people think of witchcraft, they mostly think of magic sticks, flying broomsticks, strange spells, dark rooms, glass balls and other practices from the darkness. Rarely do they think of manipulation, intimidation and dominance. Witchcraft is simply demonic. It is how the evil one makes his will yours without you noticing it. He gains power over your emotions and behavior. This is why people do things that they actually do not want to do. They do it because the will of the evil one has become their will. Why are there so many rebellious young people who cause trouble? The root of most problems Rebellion is the root of most problems. Rebellion is deeply rooted in the mind of man. In the Netherlands many organizations are working on solving this problem and are looking for the cause of it. However, the true source cannot be found because they are searching in the wrong place. The right place to look for it is its root! Many of these rebellious youths are enchanted by the power of sin and they do not even realize this. You may not believe this, but you will also find sorcery in churches. You will find this evil spirit everywhere. God said: 'You must get rid of the sin from among you.' Paul clearly states in Galatians 5:19-20 that witchcraft is the work of the flesh. Since the garden of Eden, man did not want to submit to or obey God. The spirit of rebellion is everywhere. However, God's Spirit wants to clearly speak to you today if you are still suffering from that spirit of rebellion. Begin to tackle the root, the cause. How can we deal with this sinful spirit of Lucifer, the greatest rebel that has ever existed? The Bible gives the answer. Peter says in Acts 2:38: 1) repent; 2) be baptized; 3) be filled with the Holy Spirit. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Morning Prayer for today. i. Evening Prayer But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⏤ Romans 5:8 The prayer of faith is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God. ⏤ John Bunyan O God of love, we offer You our heartfelt thanks for all Your mercies, but especially for Your unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, Your Son, in whom all gifts and blessings are included. We thank You that You loved us in our sin, not waiting for us to come to You with our love to win Your love, but that You demonstrated Your love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. We humbly adore this wonderful love, without which we would have perished forever in our sins. O may our hearts respond to Your love. Our love is so small in comparison with Yours—so unworthy, so fickle, and uncertain, that we are ashamed to offer it to You. Have mercy upon us, O God, and grant us more of Your grace and of Your Holy Spirit, that our love may be deepened and strengthened. May this Sunday be blessed to us. Fix in our hearts all the good things we have heard and learned. Sanctify to us all our worship, the instruction we have received, and the holy impressions made upon us. Accept what we have tried to do to help and bless others. Bless us again as a family as we bow at Your feet. Give us many rich blessings out of Your grace. Bless our time together today. May our home friendships grow deeper and more tender. Teach us how to love each other better. Preserve us from those miserable little faults that mar the life of love in so many homes—criticism, impatience, discourtesy, thoughtlessness, lack of gentleness. May love abound in each heart, so that our home life may be sweet and full of blessing. We come beneath the shadow of Your wings as we go to our rest. Keep us, enrich us with all goodness and mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/63/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.