Good morning, brethren. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🌹🎀🎁💝🌺 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY TUESDAY AUGUST 4, 2O26. " PATRIA POTESTAS" '...you received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing son-ship]...’ Romans 8:15 NKJV PAUL’S AUDIENCE would have understood his use of Roman adoption in teaching the benefits we receive as redeemed members of God’s family. A Roman father held absolute right and control, legally entitled ‘patria potestas’, over his children at any age. Roman adoption was a two-step process that transferred children from one patria potestas to another. 1) Emancipation. This step included a symbolic sale where the natural father twice ‘sold’ and ‘bought back’ his child, and a third where he didn’t buy them back, ending his paternal rights. 2) Vindication. Here the adoptive father presented his case for adoption to a Roman magistrate, who legally transferred the child to his patria potestas. Likewise, we have been transferred from satan’s grip to our heavenly Father’s blessed patria potestas! The benefits of Roman adoption were Paul’s chief focus in Romans chapter eight: a) The adopted person lost all rights in their old family and gained a new father, plus all rights of a legitimate member of their new family. b) They became heir to their new father’s estate. When there were other siblings, they became joint-heirs together. c) All their debts were completely cancelled, legal records of their history were expunged; the past had no effect on their new life. d) Seven citizens witnessed all legal adoptions. If the adoptee’s legitimacy was ever challenged, each witness could testify to their legitimate standing. Thank God, ‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’ (Romans 8:16 NIV). No less than the Holy Spirit Himself validates your membership in God’s family! Bible In A Year: 1 Sam 17:4-51, Eph 6:10-18. 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.*🌹🌷🎀💝 brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.ii. [03/08, 9:36 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY Ⓜ️ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS) TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST, 2026``` *GRACE FOR THE FALLEN ONES* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️👥🫂🤝🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:2 CORINTHIANS 2:6-11```📜📜 🔑📖```KEY VERSE:``` _*"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 CORINTHIANS 2:11).*_ *In His book, _Uncommon Friends,_ James D. Newton (1905 - 1999) related the story of Thomas A. Edison, who was working on a light bulb, which took a team of men 24 hours to complete. When he finished, he gave it to a young boy to carry upstairs. The boy held it nervously and mistakenly dropped it at the top of the stairs. The entire team took 24 more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was prepared to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He handed it to the same young boy who had dropped the first one. That was a demonstration of true forgiveness.* *Apostle Paul, in today's text, showed similar forgiveness to an errant member of the Corinthian church. The young man was involved in the egregious sin of sleeping with his father's wife. News of this incest and the associated scandal so grieved the apostle that he cancelled his planned trip to them and wrote a stern rebuke, instructing them to excommunicate the offender. With time, when the discipline had had the expected effect of godly sorrow and repentance on both the incestuous fellow and the church, the apostle recommended that the man be restored fully to fellowship. The penitent offender needed the forgiveness and acceptance of the church to assuage his agony and recover his spiritual confidence.* *This narrative highlights a balanced blend of chastisement and charity. Apostle Paul reasoned that abandoning the excommunicated offender, even after his repentance, would cause him further torture and give Satan a chance to hijack the affair; "...for we are not ignorant of his devices", he said. Many believers seem to be ignorant of Satan's devices in this regard. Very often, a fallen Christian is left to rot on the island of banishment. Many such forgotten ones would have traced their way back home to Calvary and church, but for the hostile attitude of the believers around them.* *If God, Apostle Paul, and the Corinthian church could forgive the repentant incestuous backslider, who are we to keep such fallen brethren away from the means of grace? Let us give Satan no advantage over the church.* ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*If you can't keep a brother from falling, don't keep him from rising up.*_ 📜📜```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *JOHN 8-9*📜📜 Grace For The Fallen Ones https://dailymanna.app// *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 117: SHOW A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE AND KINDNESS; GHS 122: SOMEBODY NEEDS YOUR LOVE; GHS 232: BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS; AND GHS 75: THE CHURCH'S ONE FOUNDATION* *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#DailyManna4thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [03/08, 9:36 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*HIGHER EVERYD🅰️Y: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_ ✍🏽👩🏻‍💼🌻 🍇🙏🏽🛰🚀🔬📚 ```TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST, 2026``` *TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS* 🎚️📓📖🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🗣️📢📣🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:ROMANS 1:14-18```📜📜 📖``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (ROMANS 1:16).*_ *"Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world, that cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life," says Ravi Zacharias.* *A young student of a university had a prompting of the Holy Spirit to minister to his roommate friend but was ashamed of being identified as a church boy. Incidentally, as he kept resisting the voice of the Spirit to minister to his friend, the sudden news of the friend's death during a long holiday came to him.* *It was heartbreaking as he felt the guilt of not saving a soul when the opportunity was there for him to do so. He learnt his lessons, but it was too late. Dear youth, are you a child of God? If your answer is yes, then you have a duty to preach the gospel to sinners around you before it is too late. Be not ashamed of the gospel of our Lord.* 💬 ```QUOTE:``` _*Preach the gospel.*_ 🏆 ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Save the perishing.*_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, help me to preach Your word.*_ Tell Others About Jesus https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#HigherEveryday4thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [03/08, 9:36 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣6️⃣)*_ 🙇🏼🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼‍♂️ ```TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST, 2026``` *A LIGHT IN THE DARK* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🕯️💡🌟💥🌍🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```MATTHEW 5:14-16```📜📜 🕔📚🖋️🚻😁🎼🏆🍉🪴🌈💻 🔑📖 ```Key Verse:``` _*"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid" (Matthew 5:14).*_ 📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖 Light is very important because it helps us see and find our way. When it is dark, we can feel lost or scared, but light makes everything clearer and safer. Just like a small light can brighten a whole room, God's light help us find hope and peace even in tough times. For believers, this light shows the way to follow God's love and truth, guiding us through any challenge we may face. Light has an amazing power to reveal what is hidden and guide people safely through the dark. Jesus calls us to be that light in the world. Just like a light helps us see in the dark, believers are like lights showing kindness and love to everyone around them. *When we help others, share love, and talk about God's goodness, we are being the light in the dark world. God wants us to shine bright and make others feel happy and loved, just like a light makes the environment brighter.* *Being a light does not require doing something extraordinary. It means living out the love of Jesus in your daily life; being kind, being honest, being helpful, and sharing His message of love. Every act of kindness you show is like a little spark that points others to the light of Christ.* 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥 ```🅿️rayer:``` _*Jesus, help me to shine Your light in the world around me so others can see and enjoy Your love and truth.*_ 🙏🏽 ```📖 Further Reading:``` *Philippians 2:13-16* A Light In The Dark https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#SincereMilk4thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [03/08, 9:36 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA* TUESDAY, 4TH AUGUST, 2026. *PRECEPTS ON CHURCH DISCIPLINE* *TEXT:* 2 CORINTHIANS 2:6-11. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. *Timeless Truth:*_"But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons"_ (Hebrews 12:8). *INTRODUCTION* Church discipline is a biblical expression of love, holiness, and restoration. A church without discipline for erring members is not a church of Christ, but a mere association of religious people. God disciplines those that err and He expects us to follow suit. *"But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons"* (Hebrews 12:8). It is not designed to destroy offenders, but to correct, restore and preserve the purity of Christ's church. In this passage, Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian believers on how to handle a repentant offender. He emphasized that discipline must be fair. Repentance and forgiveness must be genuine and believers must be vigilant against Satan's schemes. Every church should maintain a proper balance between firmness against sin and compassion toward the repentant. The attitude of those on discipline should also reflect humility and teachability according to the Word of God. *1. Proportionateness in Discipline* a. The offender committed immorality with his step mother. That was a heinous sin with no sign of remorse from the culprit and no discipline from the church leadership, until Apostle Paul rebuked them of the gravity of the sin. The man was eventually, excommunicated from the church (1 Corinthians 5). The most serious sin next to physical murder attracted the most serious discipline of excommunication. The discipline must be commensurate with the evil or wrongs that need to be judged or corrected. Paul the apostle declared that the punishment already administered by the majority was sufficient. This teaches that discipline must always be proportionate to the offence and should never become an instrument of revenge or bitterness. There are disciplines that only demand rebuke while there are some that will have more severe punishment. The punishment is to show God's displeasure with sin and to wake up the backslider or sinner from spiritual slumber. b. The first is to determine the gravity of the sin and what we want the punishment to achieve, which is majorly restoration. Once the purpose of correction has been achieved, prolonged discipline only produces unnecessary pain. God expects church leaders to administer discipline with wisdom, fairness and love, remembering that the ultimate goal is restoration rather than condemnation. This person was restored to membership and fellowship when the purpose of the excommunication was fulfilled. In fact, the church was not willing to shorten the punishment until Apostle Paul passionately, intervened. True and right attitude of repentance and restitution should command total and timely forgiveness and restoration, especially when the tendency to revert to such things have been crucified and destroyed. *Question* Do I administer correction with love and fairness or do I prolong discipline beyond what is necessary? *2. Pardon for Deserving* a. After genuine repentance comes genuine forgiveness. The man had the right attitude towards discipline. Some church members are averse to church discipline. Instead of enduring the pain, they decide to go to other churches where their sins would be overlooked. Such are not heaven bound. This man had originally separated himself from the Gentile sinners and identified with believers in Corinth. But the discipline put him in isolation from the only set of people he was closed with, i.e. the believers. Obviously, it is expected that there would be loneliness, isolation and sorrow. Since he refused to go back to the world, but endured the punishment, that was a commendable and expected attitude. b. Paul the apostle urged the church to forgive, comfort, and reaffirm their love for the disciplined brother so that he would not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. True Christian discipline always opens the door for restoration. Refusing to forgive a repentant believer contradicts the grace that God has freely extended to us in Christ. Forgiveness heals wounds, restores fellowship and reflects the heart of the gospel. The same thing happens when we are offended by fellow believers. We should be magnanimous in grace and forgiveness when there is genuine repentance. *Question* Am I willing to forgive and restore those who sincerely repent, just as Christ has forgiven me? *3. Projects of the Devils* a. Satan is never idle or passive. He has his own mapped out agenda, plans, projects for the saints and he always looks out for loopholes and times of carelessness through which he strikes at the least prepared time against the saints. Apostle Paul warned that unnecessarily prolonging the discipline and failure to forgive could give Satan an advantage over the church. The devil exploits bitterness, division, resentment and unforgiveness to weaken Christian fellowship. b. While discipline protects the church from sin, unforgiveness opens the door to Satan's destructive work. Believers must therefore, remain spiritually discerning, resisting every scheme of the enemy by walking in love, humility and reconciliation. *Question* Is there any unforgiveness or bitterness in my heart that could give the devil an opportunity in my life or church? *Prayer Points* 1.Lord, grant me the wisdom to uphold biblical discipline with justice, love and compassion 🙏. 2.Father, give me a forgiving heart that willingly restores every genuinely repentant believer 🙏. 3.Give me the right attitude of humility, patience and teachability when I am rebuked or put under discipline 🙏. 4.Lord, deliver Your church from bitterness, division and every scheme of Satan 🙏. *HYMN:* Lower and lower *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* JOHN 8-9. Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* MONDAY 3RD AUGUST, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD'S GRACE. *TOPIC:* SET YOUR HEART ON ETERNAL THINGS. *TEXTS:* COLOSSIANS 3:2; 1 JOHN 2:15. *COLOSSIANS 3:2.* 2. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. *1 JOHN 2:15.* 15. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. *TOPIC:* SET YOUR HEART ON ETERNAL THINGS. *THE MESSAGE:* The youth of the 21st century is preoccupied with worldly affairs. Today's text urges the believers to shift their focus from worldly pursuits to eternal values. It warns that loving the world and its fleeting pleasures hinders one from experiencing God's love and grace. Loving the world and mundane things is an indication that the love of the Father is absent. Earthly things are temporary, while eternal things last forever. To truly walk with God and be used by Him, young people must let go of materialism and worldly entanglements, setting their hearts on things above. You can achieve this through constant study of the word, a life of prayer, and fellowship with the brethren. On what have you set your heart? Evaluate! *REFLECTION:* The world and it's desires are temporary. *PRAYER:* Lord Jesus, help me to pursue eternal things. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* JEREMIAH 7-10. ED.ii. TRULY BORN AGAIN "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 There are a few essential points when it concerns being born again. 1) There must be a confession of sins. In other words: you must regret your sins. You have to acknowledge that you have sinned against God. An example is King David's prayer which shows his remorse: 'Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love… Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… Against You, You only, have I sinned' (Psalm 51:1-4). 2) You have to know what Jesus Christ did at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus Christ is the only One who can take sin away. 'The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin' (1 John 1:7). 3) There must be a real change in your heart when you are born again. This change is so great that you can say like 2 Corinthians 5:17 that you are created again by God. A whole new life has begun. A radical change These are the essential points to be truly born again. It is not only by believing that you come to heaven; nor do you get to heaven because you go to church. The evil one also believes that Jesus is the Son of God. There are so many things people say which make them think they are born again. My question is: 'what happened when you gave your life to Jesus'? To truly be born again this radical change has to take place in your life. This change makes you turn your back on your old self. If this is not yet the case for you, pray the sinner's prayer with all your heart to God. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. ⏤ Psalm 3:5 Prayer is aligning ourselves with the purposes of God. ⏤ E. Stanley Jones To whom, Lord, shall we go but to You? You have the words of eternal life! You alone know our needs—and You alone can meet them. You alone can give us guidance, wisdom, help, comfort in sorrow, forgiveness for sin, and eternal life. We bow at Your feet tonight, knowing that there is no need we have that You cannot meet. You can provide for our bodily needs. You can supply everything we need for our mental and spiritual lives. This has been a profitable day for us because You have blessed us. We have received new mercies from Your hand. We have had food and clothing, and many of life’s good things. For these common mercies, we thank You. We thank You for all the good that has come to us through our human friends—their sympathy and kindness. We thank You for the love and trust in our home, for all that our home means to us. It is a shelter from life’s storms. We can turn away from the world’s insincerity, self-interest, envy, and bitterness, and always find within our own door—love that is true, deep, unselfish, enriching, and comforting. Here we are sure of each other’s love. We do not need to be on guard as we do when we are outside. So we thank You for the blessing of our home, for its companionship, its joy, its comfort, and the healing of its love. Help us to make our home holier, more loving, truer and purer, more full of inspiration—the best place in the world to grow. Now while we kneel together as a family around the family altar in our evening prayer, we ask for Your blessing. Abide with us. Be our guest tonight. Bless us in our sleep. Prepare us for a new day, and give us new blessings when it dawns. We ask all in the name of our Redeemer. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/29/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

A Nugget of Truth. A PRIOR JUDGEMENT - THE FINAL END OF SIN "Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after." 1 Timothy 5:24. The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated.... When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be. All are to be judged according to the things written in the books, and to be rewarded as their works have been. This judgment does not take place at death. In the typical service the high priest, having made the atonement for Israel, came forth and blessed the congregation. So Christ, at the close of His work as mediator, will appear, “without sin unto salvation,” to bless His waiting people with eternal life. As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary, confessed them upon the head of the scapegoat, so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin. The scapegoat, bearing the sins of Israel, was sent away “unto a land not inhabited;” so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit, will be for a thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate, without inhabitant, and he will at last suffer the full penalty of sin in the fires that shall destroy all the wicked. A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number of people on the earth will be saved unto life eternal, while the masses who have not perfected their souls in obeying the truth will be appointed to the second death. While the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth.

Conflict and Courage Ecclesiastes Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11. By his own bitter experience, Solomon learned the emptiness of a life that seeks in earthly things its highest good. He erected altars to heathen gods, only to learn how vain is their promise of rest to the spirit. Gloomy and soul-harassing thoughts troubled him night and day. For him there was no longer any joy of life or peace of mind, and the future was dark with despair. Yet the Lord forsook him not. By messages of reproof and by severe judgments, He sought to arouse the king to a realization of the sinfulness of his course.... At last the Lord, through a prophet, delivered to Solomon the startling message: ... “I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.” Awakened as from a dream by this sentence of judgment pronounced against him and his house, Solomon with quickened conscience began to see his folly in its true light. Chastened in spirit, with mind and body enfeebled, he turned wearied and thirsting from earth's broken cisterns, to drink once more at the fountain of life.... He could never hope to escape the blasting results of sin; he could never free his mind from all remembrance of the self-indulgent course he had been pursuing; but he would endeavor earnestly to dissuade others from following after folly.... The true penitent does not put his past sins from his remembrance. He does not, as soon as he has obtained peace, grow unconcerned in regard to the mistakes he has made. He thinks of those who have been led into evil by his course, and tries in every possible way to lead them back into the true path. The clearer the light that he has entered into, the stronger is his desire to set the feet of others in the right way.22Prophets and Kings, 76-78

THE PILGRIMS GUIDE WEDNESDAY JULY 8, 2026 RESPONDING TO GOD'S PROMPTING A WORD FROM THE WORD: ".... If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you." 2 Chronicles 15:2 NIV This is God making an irrevocable promise to King Asa and to us, His children, by extension. The bankrupt spiritual state of Israel was revealed in verse 3, 'For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.' King Asa's swift response to the Word of God is worthy of note, this is what is expected of God's children everywhere. The King moved immediately in the direction of God as soon as His Word reached him, right there and then, he and the people entered into a covenant to seek the LORD. I think we can also do that today as a sign of our unwavering commitment to the LORD and as a response to His promptings to us. King Asa's heart was made up and he was set to do the will of God whatever the cost. Would you dare be impelled and moved like King Asa, all Judah and Benjamin to seek God's face in repentance? PRAYER BULLETS: ABBA Father, may I be found with a penitent heart like that of Asa. FURTHER READING: 1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 11:28-30. _________________________________________ ©️ Amaobi Nwachukwu 2026. If you're blessed by this, please, do share with others. And if you'll like to partner with us, kindly check page 3 of our hard copy edition or better still send us a WhatsApp message or call on +234 8098421967. #ThePilgrimsGuide.

Reading Nehemiah Chapter 1 1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah's Prayer 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king. NEHEMIAH THE MAN OF PRAYER Nehemiah is such an interesting character; he was a Jew in exile and he had reached one of the highest positions in the court of Persia, he was a trusted advisor and confidant of the king. He probably knew that people had gone back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, they had now returned, one being his own brother or a very close relative. Although he was a high-ranking court official, he was intimately interested in what was going on in Jerusalem. Let us learn some things from the prayer of Nehemiah: His prayer was passionate Look how it starts, as soon as he heard, he sat down and wept. He was an emotional guy; he was a passionate guy. What are you passionate about? We have a generation of believers, who are passionate about anything other than the things of God. They are passionate about their sports team, their jobs, their cars or some other idol; they have. If you heard like Nehemiah, the news that he heard, what would be your reaction? In today's church, it would be seen as emotional over reaction, what would make you weep? Does the news that millions are going to hell every day make you weep? Does the news that your country and community is in moral decline make you weep? Does the news that your church and indeed yourself have lost its first love, make you weep? The walls are broken down around your family, church, community and country, does that make you weep? He gave God his proper place. Verse 5 What did he call God? He gave proper recognition to God, when we approach God in prayer, he is not some distant deity, neither is he our buddy, he is what Nehemiah calls Him “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God Before he petitioned God, he praised God Verse 5 Nehemiah praised God because God was and is a covenant keeping, loving, all powerful, faithful and awesome God. Next time you come before God, with your long list of requests, spend time praising Him for all that he is and all that he has done for you. His prayer was persistent verse 6 Notice he prayed day and night, Jesus said in Luke 18:1 we had to pray and not lose heart and Paul in 1 Thess 5 said Pray without ceasing. Nehemiah prayed often and sought God on this matter, he told no one the situation, but God. Before he went to his pastor or friends, he went to his God. He knew his place in God's plan verse 6 The prayer of your servant. Jesus said we are unprofitable servants at best. How often we come to God in pride, thinking we are something, when indeed we are nothing. He was the cupbearer to the king, but to God, he was and is a humble servant, just like you and me He prayed for his people verse 6 His prayer was focused on the children of Israel, he could have prayed and I'm sure he was praying for Persia, but his focus was on his own people. May we all focus on all own people, whether we are British, Chinese, German or Nigerian. His prayer was penitent and personal verses 6 and 7 Nehemiah realised what had caused this, sin. He did not hide from this. He realised that he was not excluded from blame. Nehemiah realised that he was part of the problem, he had been in Babylon, but he didn't absolve himself of blame. The situation in the UK is very bad, sin is rampant, although I am thousands of miles away, I cannot absolve myself of blame. He reminded God of the promise he had made with the people, not that God needed to be reminded verse 8-10 God's promises are sure and steadfast, if God said then it will come to pass. God had said that if the children of Israel followed him, then blessing would happen, if they didn't, then failure would happen. He praised God for his great power verse 10 It was God who redeemed the people and it would be God, who would now help them. The Children of Israel had gone after other God's, but there only hope is and always will be in God. We need to remember that only God is able to do anything to help us, like the Baals on Mt Carmel, all other God's are dead . Our God is alive and all powerful. He prayed for God's protection verse 11 Nehemiah was a trusted advisor to the king, but his trust was in God and him alone. He prayed for favour with this man; he knew who was in control. God answered Nehemiah's prayer, because he came humbly to God, he came with a broken and contrite spirit. Nothing in his prayer was in pride, he came as a penitent sinner, he came with a reverence to God. God requires us to come to him acknowledging who he is, the one all-powerful God who is awesome in majesty and glory. So often, I come to God and just have a shopping list of requests, but like Nehemiah, we need to spend time worshipping God and then we can tell God all our needs. Let us come in humble repentance to our Great and all-powerful God, who alone can answer our prayers. His ear is always attentive to our prayers, if we came to God in the way Nehemiah did. God bless you KK

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.

Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🎀💝🎁🌺🌹 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY. SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2026. "HOPE" 'Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope...' Hebrews 10:23 NLT SOME OF the people around you today are living without hope. Look at them; they smile, but their eyes are dead. They talk, but the music has left their voice. They’re like mannequins: all dressed up and going nowhere because they feel hopeless. But as a follower of Christ, you don’t have to live that way. ‘Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.’ Our hope isn’t luck, like winning the lottery. No, it’s confidence that God will do what He said. No one knew the truth of this better than David. He had every reason to lose hope. After Samuel anointed him to be Israel’s next king, he had to wait for seven years while a paranoid ruler occupied the throne. He had to flee for his life and hide in caves, surrounded by enemies. He saw Israel devastated, his friends killed and his family taken captive. But he never wavered or threw in the towel. Faced with circumstances that would wipe many of us out, the Psalmist said, ‘…My hope is in You’ (Psalms 39:7 NKJV). ‘…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ (Psalms 30:5 NKJV). In other words, ‘It’s going to get better!’ You can’t lose with an attitude like that. David became king because he never lost confidence in the promises of God. They kept him focused; they kept him on top of the circumstances; they kept him going! What has God promised you? Stand on His Word and declare, ‘If God promised it, I believe it, and that settles it!’ Bible In A Year: 2 Kings 7-9; Mark 12: 13-27; Ps 132:1-10; Pro 13:4-6. 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.*🌷🎀💝🌹. MD.ii. DO NOT FEAR "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" - Mark 4:40 Jesus said: 'Let us go over to the other side.' There was a big storm and the waves hit the boat. However, Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat and was at rest. Despite the presence of Jesus, the disciples were very afraid, so they woke Jesus and asked Him: 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' Jesus woke up and said to the wind: 'Quiet! Be still!' The wind subsided, and it was completely silent. Jesus said to them: 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith in Me? ' I am drowning It often happens that someone suddenly and unexpectedly end up in a storm in his life. It is then easy to become fearful and shout out: 'I am drowning!' People are afraid for the future, for today's life, for sudden symptoms of illness, insomnia, poverty, getting older, criticism, death, etc. What caused the disciples to be so scared and to only have one thought: 'We are drowning?' They forgot who said to them: 'Let us go over to the other side.' Is that perhaps also the reason why we are afraid? Have we forgotten who He is? Have we forgotten that He said to us: 'Never will l leave you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' Have we forgotten that with God all things are possible for those who believe, and that Jesus is the same forever? Hold on to Jesus The circumstances, such as this storm, caused that they lost sight of Jesus. They saw the storm, they felt the wind and they thought: 'we are drowning!' When faith is exchanged for fear, you end up in the most difficult situations in life. No matter how the storm rages in your life, hold on to Jesus, the Author of life. Do not doubt His unlimited power and love. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ⏤ 1 John 1:9 Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. ⏤ John Bunyan Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no soundness in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to Your promises declared in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O merciful Father, for Your sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy name. We bless Your name, O God, our Father, that we can come to You with our confessions, assured that You will, for the sake of Jesus Christ, forgive us all our manifold transgressions. May we today have Your divine peace in our souls. May the love of Jesus also be in us, warming our hearts and making us more like You. Help us in all our work and duties. Let us not falter. Preserve us from laziness and carelessness. Make us diligent in our responsibilities. Strengthen us for all burden-bearing and cross-bearing, for all struggle and conflict. Let us not faint nor fail. Enable us to do every task in a way that pleases You. We ask also for wisdom that we may not make mistakes. Bless our influence on others; may it always be good and helpful. Give us the true spirit of neighborliness. May the mind that was in Christ Jesus be in us, making us humble and helpful. Grant these mercies and favors in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/62/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🎀💝🎁🌺🌹 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY. SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2026. "HOPE" 'Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope...' Hebrews 10:23 NLT SOME OF the people around you today are living without hope. Look at them; they smile, but their eyes are dead. They talk, but the music has left their voice. They’re like mannequins: all dressed up and going nowhere because they feel hopeless. But as a follower of Christ, you don’t have to live that way. ‘Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.’ Our hope isn’t luck, like winning the lottery. No, it’s confidence that God will do what He said. No one knew the truth of this better than David. He had every reason to lose hope. After Samuel anointed him to be Israel’s next king, he had to wait for seven years while a paranoid ruler occupied the throne. He had to flee for his life and hide in caves, surrounded by enemies. He saw Israel devastated, his friends killed and his family taken captive. But he never wavered or threw in the towel. Faced with circumstances that would wipe many of us out, the Psalmist said, ‘…My hope is in You’ (Psalms 39:7 NKJV). ‘…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ (Psalms 30:5 NKJV). In other words, ‘It’s going to get better!’ You can’t lose with an attitude like that. David became king because he never lost confidence in the promises of God. They kept him focused; they kept him on top of the circumstances; they kept him going! What has God promised you? Stand on His Word and declare, ‘If God promised it, I believe it, and that settles it!’ Bible In A Year: 2 Kings 7-9; Mark 12: 13-27; Ps 132:1-10; Pro 13:4-6. 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.*🌷🎀💝🌹. MD.ii. DO NOT FEAR "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" - Mark 4:40 Jesus said: 'Let us go over to the other side.' There was a big storm and the waves hit the boat. However, Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat and was at rest. Despite the presence of Jesus, the disciples were very afraid, so they woke Jesus and asked Him: 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' Jesus woke up and said to the wind: 'Quiet! Be still!' The wind subsided, and it was completely silent. Jesus said to them: 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith in Me? ' I am drowning It often happens that someone suddenly and unexpectedly end up in a storm in his life. It is then easy to become fearful and shout out: 'I am drowning!' People are afraid for the future, for today's life, for sudden symptoms of illness, insomnia, poverty, getting older, criticism, death, etc. What caused the disciples to be so scared and to only have one thought: 'We are drowning?' They forgot who said to them: 'Let us go over to the other side.' Is that perhaps also the reason why we are afraid? Have we forgotten who He is? Have we forgotten that He said to us: 'Never will l leave you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' Have we forgotten that with God all things are possible for those who believe, and that Jesus is the same forever? Hold on to Jesus The circumstances, such as this storm, caused that they lost sight of Jesus. They saw the storm, they felt the wind and they thought: 'we are drowning!' When faith is exchanged for fear, you end up in the most difficult situations in life. No matter how the storm rages in your life, hold on to Jesus, the Author of life. Do not doubt His unlimited power and love. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ⏤ 1 John 1:9 Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. ⏤ John Bunyan Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no soundness in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to Your promises declared in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O merciful Father, for Your sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy name. We bless Your name, O God, our Father, that we can come to You with our confessions, assured that You will, for the sake of Jesus Christ, forgive us all our manifold transgressions. May we today have Your divine peace in our souls. May the love of Jesus also be in us, warming our hearts and making us more like You. Help us in all our work and duties. Let us not falter. Preserve us from laziness and carelessness. Make us diligent in our responsibilities. Strengthen us for all burden-bearing and cross-bearing, for all struggle and conflict. Let us not faint nor fail. Enable us to do every task in a way that pleases You. We ask also for wisdom that we may not make mistakes. Bless our influence on others; may it always be good and helpful. Give us the true spirit of neighborliness. May the mind that was in Christ Jesus be in us, making us humble and helpful. Grant these mercies and favors in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/62/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion. Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* FRIDAY 5TH JUNE, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* EXAMPLES OF GOD'S AMAZING GRACE. *TOPIC:* ABRAHAM. *TEXT:* GENESIS 12:1-3. 1. The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” *TOPIC:* ABRAHAM. *THE MESSAGE:* God's Grace looks beyond man's allegiance, capability, weakness, or sin. In our text, God calls Abram from a godless and idolatrous land and promises him a better land, a nation, and a blessing. He will make Abram great, and bless those who bless him, and expand his paternity beyond the shores of Canaan. Abram did nothing to warrant this; Grace alone could have done this. His life had lapses, including lying, trying to help God, and disobedience, yet God remained faithful and kept His promises. Like Abraham, we are not flawless, but we must follow his examples of simple faith and obey God's leading for our lives. We must not allow the blurriness sometimes experienced in our Christian journey to deter us. *REFLECTION:* God is dependable; follow Him. *PRAYER:* Help me, Lord, to answer Your call and trust Your leading. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* JOHN 1:16. "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* PSALM 25-30. ED.ii. Skip to content Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth Posted onJune 5, 2026 by Editor The Mystery of Godliness Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 Redemptive Work The mystery of godliness was an astonishing truth given by Paul to Timothy. This mystery of righteousness encompasses the redemptive work of Christ Jesus. It was a truth that was hidden from man in the old testament, and it was a truth that was explained through Paul in the new. Glorious Gospel This is no “mysterious phenomena,” that cannot be understood by you or me! This is no “secret illumination” given only a few men with mystical minds. This was a truth hidden by God, until it was time to proclaim it to the world. The mystery of godliness is the wonderful truth of the glorious gospel of Christ. Gift of Grace The mystery of our faith was a truth that emanated from the heart of God. The mystery that demands our reverence, is God with us, the hope of glory. The mystery of godliness is the gospel of Christ, unfolded in the scheme of salvation. It is the mystery of our faith : It is the glorious gospel of Christ : It is the amazing plan of God’s gift of salvation to you and to me. Undeniably Certainty This mystery from God is an undeniably certainty – it is a truth without controversy. We can confidently believe His word with absolute assurance and utter confidence, For without question, this is the great mystery of our faith. Christ in the Flesh The 1st principle in this open secret is the manifestation of Christ in the flesh: the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us John1:14. He was clothed in mortal flesh so that He could be identified as one with our race. God became man so that man could return back into fellowship with a holy God. Christ became sin so that sinners could be covered in His perfect righteousness. Jesus became the captain of our salvation to demonstrate how to live godly in Him. He was made in the image of man that He might destroy the works of the evil one. Great is the mystery of godliness. Precious is the gospel of God’s great salvation. Justified in the Spirit The 2nd principle of this mystery of our faith is that Christ was justified in the spirit. Christ Who knew no sin was made sin so we might be made righteousness, in Him. He was made sin and He bore the world’s sin – but Christ was the innocent sacrifice.. and so He was justified: vindicated – cleared of all its guilt, consequences and wages.. for the wages of sin is death but Christ being raised from the dead, dies no more. Christ lived a perfect human life – living, walking and praying in spirit and truth. He fulfilled God’s righteous requirements and so He was vindicated by the Spirit Great is the mystery of godliness. Precious is the incarnate Word of God and His great salvation. Seen of Angels The 3rd principle of God’s revealed mystery is that Christ was seen of angels. It was angels that heralded His birth and angels that announced His resurrection. It was angels that ministered in temptations hour and also in Gethsemane’s pain. It was angels that sang at the womb of creation and they who saw His assention.. and angels around the throne worship before Him crying: Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty. “Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honour, and glory, and blessing” Rev.5:11. Great is the mystery of godliness. Wonderful is His name – the anointed of God, our precious Saviour. Preached to Gentiles The 4th principle of this wonderful truth is that Christ preached unto the Gentiles. Though many rejected the king of the Jews, nonetheless many gentiles believed.. and out of the nations was called a people for Christ’s name to bear much fruit. His blood has bought men from every tribe, language, people and nation, for you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 1Peter 2:9. Great is the mystery of godliness Praise the Lord – for He wills that all are saved and come to faith in Jesus. Christ is Believed on The 5th principle in this great assurance is that Christ is believed on in the world.. for he that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeys not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him John 3:36. How gracious is God – for the people that walked in darkness were given the light, and those born dead in their sins can become sons of God, by grace through faith. Great is the mystery of godliness for the earth shall be filled with His glory as the waters cover the sea. Received into Glory The 6th principle of this undeniable certainty is that Christ was received into glory. Christ finished the Father’s work and claimed His position on His Father’s throne. His glorious resurrection was done and His position in glory awaited Him. Both acts verified His authenticity – both affirmed His eternal kingship. Gift of Salvation The mystery of godliness was an astonishing truth explained by Paul to Timothy. The mystery of godliness is the wonderful truth of the glorious gospel of Christ. It is the mystery of our faith. It is the glorious of gospel of Christ. It is the amazing plan of God’s gift of salvation to you and to me. Post navigation Previous Post Previous The Time Is Short Proudly powered by WordPress. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. ⏤ James 4:8 God shapes the world by prayer. ⏤ E.M. Bounds O God, our Father, we hunger for more life. We have gone through this day longing for life, yet how little life we have had! Our souls have felt empty of You. Our hearts have been crying out for more and more life. Reveal Yourself to us. Bring us into closer and closer personal friendship with Jesus. This is what we crave—friendship with Jesus. It is not enough for us to know Jesus as our Savior and our Lord; we long to come into deeper and closer personal friendship with Him. Show us how to have more of Jesus in us. Whatever hinders us from welcoming Him into our hearts, help us to find it and cast it out, so that Jesus may receive a glad welcome into our deepest affection. May we be blessed by the experiences of today. May they all work for our good. Some things have not gone according to our plans. We hoped for things we did not receive. Help us to know that Your way is better than ours, and help us to cheerfully give up our way for Yours. If we are not fully submissive, forgive us, and teach us how good it is to accept our Father’s way. We pray for Your church. It is in many fragments; we pray that soon Your people may be one. Bring Christians nearer together in love, faith, and life. While there is separation, may You overrule all divisions for good. May hearts be drawn together, and thus may Your people become one in spirit and effort. Save Your true disciples everywhere from sectarianism and from all that fosters differences. May Your Holy Spirit be given in such measure that all denominational lines may melt away. Hear us in our prayer tonight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/61/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

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.