PAT BOONE: THE MAN BEHIND THE CLEAN-CUT IMAGE Long before the Jesus Movement had a name, there was a young man from Tennessee named Pat Boone. Clean cut. Polite. Christian. Married young. And he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He sang. He acted. He hosted television. He became a teen idol and one of the most recognizable faces in America. And then there was Elvis Presley. Elvis was rock ’n’ roll. Pat was… well, Pat Boone. You probably wouldn’t have put those two together at the same table. But they became friends. In fact, they lived near each other in Bel Air, worked around the same Hollywood circles, and Elvis would sometimes visit Pat’s home. And here’s one of my favorite little stories. Pat’s daughters would jump into the swimming pool and splash Elvis. Pat apparently felt the need to remind them that they were getting Elvis wet. Elvis’s response? “Leave ’em alone, man. I like it.” The King of Rock ’n’ Roll apparently had no problem being attacked by a bunch of little girls with water wings. But beneath the humor was something deeper. Elvis knew Pat was a Christian. And Elvis trusted him. At one point, Elvis told Pat he wished he could go to church like Pat did. But fame made it almost impossible. If Elvis walked into church, people would recognize him, ask for autographs and turn worship into a spectacle. Later, while Elvis was performing in Las Vegas, he asked Pat… “Do you know Oral Roberts?” Elvis wanted to talk with the famous evangelist. Pat basically told him, “You’re Elvis Presley. Pick up the phone!” Think about that. The King of Rock ’n’ Roll was asking his Christian friend for help connecting with a Christian evangelist. That doesn’t mean Elvis suddenly became the Christian Pat hoped he would become. But it tells us something important. Elvis was searching. And he knew he could talk to Pat about spiritual things. Then came the Jesus Movement. Hippies were coming to Christ. Young people with long hair and very short patience for organized religion were showing up in churches. Rock music was being turned toward Jesus. And Pat Boone stepped into it. He founded Lamb & Lion Records, helping give Christian musicians a place to make contemporary music about Jesus. But Pat didn’t hide from the culture. In 1972, he and his wife and daughters even performed at a Playboy Club. Pat openly disagreed with the Playboy philosophy. But he went anyway. Why? Because he believed Christians didn’t have to hide from people they disagreed with. He could walk into a place without becoming part of that place. He could love people without agreeing with everything they believed. And maybe that’s the lesson. Pat Boone didn’t have to become Elvis to be his friend. He didn’t have to compromise his faith to love someone who didn’t share it. He simply stayed who he was. A Christian. A friend. A man willing to walk into places where Christians weren’t always expected to go. And perhaps that’s one of the things the Jesus Movement understood better than we sometimes do today…. Jesus didn’t tell us to love only people who already looked like us. He told us to love people. Period. Sometimes friendship opens a door that preaching never could. And sometimes the person sitting across the table from you isn’t looking for an argument. They’re looking for someone they can trust. Maybe that’s why Elvis trusted Pat Boone. And maybe that’s why we should remember the story. Be the kind of Christian people aren’t afraid to call when they’re searching. ✝️ #JesusMovement #PatBoone #ElvisPresley #JesusMusic #ChristianHistory #ChristianMusic #FaithAndCulture #GodsGrace

Thankful for fellowship....... so, here's our non-profit. please go check out our website. share with everyone you know. It is wonderful being a Blessing to someone else. anyone can help. Help us help others We wanted to share our Mission. Due to health conditions, we don’t travel any longer. But this doesn’t stop us from Serving orphans and widows in Ghana, also helping meet needs locally. This is our non profit. You can find us online. Check out our Facebook page and our Website. You can now easily Connect with our Zeffy, Venmo, and Cashapp - Andy n Julie. Building Foundations 1x1 I Heart Columbia ( Mule Town ), Tennessee I love Spring Hill Tennessee Nashville Tennessee #Tennessee https://buildingfoundation.wixsite.com/building-foundations https://buildingfoundation.wixsite.com/building-foundations #nonprofit #missions #5013c

He was in a photography darkroom. He opened his Bible. He says he saw a vision. He wrote a hymn in 45 minutes that has never left. Charles Austin Miles was not primarily a minister. He was a pharmacist who had become a music editor for a gospel publishing house, spending much of his working time not in a pulpit but in a photography darkroom developing photographs — a hobby that had become something of a second trade. In March 1912, Miles was sitting alone in that darkroom. It was cold. According to his own account, he opened his Bible to John 20 — the passage describing Mary Magdalene arriving at the empty tomb on resurrection morning, weeping, then encountering the risen Jesus, who speaks her name. Miles later wrote that as he read, the scene became vivid to him in an overwhelming way — as if he were standing in the garden himself, watching it unfold. He described it as a vision, though he acknowledged others might call it simply a deep imaginative engagement with the text. He reached for paper and wrote. Forty-five minutes later, both the words and the melody of "In the Garden" were complete. "And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own." The hymn became one of the most beloved gospel songs of the 20th century, recorded by artists ranging from Tennessee Ernie Ford to Elvis Presley, selling tens of millions of copies across formats and generations. A man alone in the dark, reading about a woman alone in a garden, wrote a hymn about the moment she was no longer alone. Share this with someone who needs to know He still speaks names. "Jesus said to her, 'Mary.'" — John 20:16

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.

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.

hello brothers and sisters I've been here about 2 weeks. I've noticed most people live outside of the United States. I don't know how easy it is for you to find Christian radio. we have so many radio stations that are on the internet that it is very easy here in the United States. I just figured I'd give you a couple of them vcy America. b o t t radio CSN international another station called hope FM 90.5 it's in New Jersey. and another one called w i a m it is out of Tennessee and then there is also Moody radio hope this really helps people they really want something to listen to on the internet and feel free to add to it

Living Arrangements – Numbers 2:1-34 Last year my family and I went on vacation together to Tennessee. When we arrived and went in, we saw a big spacious cabin with 4 bedrooms in it. It was predetermined where each family was going to sleep. This what we see in this week’s Torah portion. YHWH Told Moses where each tribe was to encamp on each side of the tabernacle. YHWH had a certain place he wanted each tribe to encamp. YHWH had order when it came to where each tribe was to be. Just like the tribes of Israel YHWH wants us to have a certain order in our life. The scriptures say in Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love YHWH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”. This scripture is further clarified by Messiah in Mark 12:29-31 “And YHWH Messiah answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; YHWH is our Elohim, YHWH is one: And thou shalt love YHWH thy Elohim with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” YHWH wants us to put him first in our lives. The world has it backwards. They think they should put themselves first, (A “me first” or a “look out for number 1” mentality). We see in scriptures that there are blessings for those who YHWH first in their lives. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of YHWH, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 And now, Israel, what doth YHWH thy Elohim require of thee, but to fear YHWH thy Elohim, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve YHWH thy Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of YHWH, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth YHWH require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy Elohim? Today let us remember to put YHWH first in our life. Remember anything we deem as more important than YHWH in this world is an idol in YHWH’s sight. YHWH delt harshly with idolaters in the old testament. YHWH Bless

Jesus is Lord. I just want to share a little bit of my testimony. Early Year. I grew up in the church. At age 6 in a small bright green Sunday school I asked Jesus into my heart. I remember it like it was yesterday. Every detail and to this day I still talk to the lady that was teaching that day. Teen Years. Yes still going to church anytime the door was open. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, but having a personal relationship with Jesus is everything. Music was a strong part of my growing up. Our family wasn't into music but I was. I also didn't just to one church. Pretty much raised in a Baptists but also went to Church of God, non-denominational, Assembly of God, Methodist, just any church that was preaching and teaching Jesus. People ask me if I was confused or looking for something with all the churches. No. I was going wear God was being preached. Raised mostly Baptist but I don't see the church thru normal lenses. I live by what the Bible says to me not by denomination glasses. Early Adult. I finished High school. Finished college. Moved from home town in Mobile, Alabama to Sevierville, Tennessee. Where i was a manager of a Christian music store. I met my wife. A lot of things during my young adult life I am not proud of. Internet became my downfall. after 14 years of marriage I left my first wife. I failed and was totally wrong by cheating on my wife. Middle Aged. Moved from East Tennessee to Middle Tennessee (Lewisburg).Not in church. Not following my life I should be doing. Living for myself, not for God. Second married failed in less than 2 years. Went to bars but I not really drank anything, I was there just to listen to music. Older Years. While my 2nd marriage was pretty much gone, I met now my current wife. Yes my life was a mess but something was changing. God was not yelling at me. He was not pulling me. He was just whispering saying its time to come back to him. He didn't wait for me to clean myself up, he took me just as I was. Married now to my 3rd wife and God is showing me what I should have been doing. My wife (Patsy) is truly a answer to my life. Even though we met in a bar, she had just lost her job of 18 years and I was homeless, we married and now as of 17 years we are of one accord. We have gone through hell, but we both know have both been focused on Jesus being the center of our lives. No more bars. No fighting. Just focused on Jesus. We are not perfect but God is a God of 2nd chances. Now. For the past several years, we watch church service together. She not able to travel to churches due to having 6 major back surgeries. We do watch church and I play nothing but Christian music everywhere I go. I work ( starting may 25th on 3rd shift). I work to make sure she has everything she needs. I thank God that my health is good at age 58. I thank God for every day of life. Sum it All up. The Lord has taken this young child who is grounded in his word and has brought him through life's ups and down and has now put his life on solid ground. I don't have a favorite scripture. I have a favorite chapter. Psalms 139. It is my life.

THE STORY OF Charles M. Kinney THE STORY OF CHARLES M. KINNEY The First Black Ordained Minister (Post-1863 Structure) From The Shadow Of Slavery To Builder Of A Movement In the year 1855, in the city of Richmond, Virginia, a place heavy with the weight of slavery, a child was born. His name was Charles Marshall Kinney. No one looking at that moment could have imagined what his life would become. He was born into a world divided, where opportunity was scarce, and dignity was often denied. Whether he was born enslaved or free is uncertain, but one thing is clear: he grew up under the long shadow of oppression. Yet, even in that darkness, God was preparing a light. As the Civil War ended and the nation struggled through Reconstruction, young Charles found himself living in a world that had changed in law, but not yet in spirit. Opportunity was still limited, and prejudice remained deeply rooted. Sometime around 1870, he made a life-altering move westward with his family to Reno, Nevada. It was a journey not just across land, but toward possibility. In Reno, he settled into the trade of barbering, a skill passed down from his father. The work was steady, honest, and respectable, but deep within him there was a sense that his life was meant for something more than routine survival. That moment of purpose came in the summer of 1878. A tent meeting was being held in Reno, drawing crowds curious about the message being preached. Charles attended, perhaps at first with simple curiosity, but what he encountered there would reshape his entire life. The meetings were led by the Adventist evangelist J. N. Loughborough, and among the speakers was Ellen G. White. On one particular evening, she spoke on the subject of the love of God. It was not merely a sermon to Charles; it was a revelation. The message pierced through his heart with clarity and power. In that moment, truth became personal. He responded with conviction. At twenty-three years old, he chose to follow God’s call. He accepted the teachings he had heard, began observing the Sabbath, and was baptized on the final Sabbath of September 1878. With that decision, he became one of the seven founding members of the Reno Seventh-day Adventist Church, and notably, the only Black member among them. In a time when racial barriers were strong and social divisions rigid, this placed him in a position of quiet isolation. Yet he did not withdraw. Instead, he leaned into service. Charles quickly became active in the life of the church. His dedication and discipline led to his appointment as secretary of the local tract and missionary society, and not long after, he was serving at the state level in a similar role. He distributed religious literature tirelessly, sending printed truth across towns and even back east to places like Virginia. Through written reports to the church’s leading publication, Review and Herald, he communicated the progress of the work, showing early signs of the leadership and vision that would later define his life. Recognizing his commitment and potential, church leaders arranged for him to receive formal training. He was sent to Healdsburg College in California, where he studied from 1883 to 1885. There, he developed intellectually and spiritually, preparing for a life of ministry that would demand both strength and endurance. When he completed his education, Charles did not step into comfort. Instead, he entered one of the most challenging mission fields of his time. He began working among Black communities in the Midwest, particularly in Kansas, where many formerly enslaved people had migrated seeking freedom and opportunity. In cities like Topeka, he labored with relentless energy. He went from house to house, sharing Scripture, giving Bible studies, and placing literature into the hands of anyone willing to read. Within a short time, he had reached a significant portion of the city. His approach was deeply personal. Rather than relying solely on large public meetings, he invested in individual lives. He listened, taught, and reasoned with people patiently. On occasion, he stood in public debates, defending his beliefs before large audiences. One such encounter involved a Black Baptist minister and drew a crowd of hundreds. These moments required courage, especially as he often faced opposition not only from outside but from within communities wary of new teachings. As his work expanded into places like Missouri and Kentucky, the challenges intensified. Racial prejudice was not limited to society at large; it sometimes appeared within church settings as well. In cities like St. Louis, tensions arose when Black believers began to respond to the message. Integrated worship created discomfort among some white members, revealing the painful reality that the church, though grounded in truth, was still grappling with human weakness. In 1889, Charles was assigned to Louisville, Kentucky, to care for a small group of Black believers. That same year, during a gathering connected with a camp meeting in Tennessee, a historic moment took place. In early October, he was ordained to the gospel ministry. With this act, Charles M. Kinney became the first African American to be ordained in the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church after its establishment in 1863. It was a milestone not just for him, but for the future of the church. Yet even in that moment of recognition, the tensions of the time were present. Segregation and social discomfort made the work difficult. Charles did not ignore these realities. He spoke plainly about them, describing how discrimination embarrassed and discouraged Black believers and hindered the spread of the gospel. But he did more than identify the problem, he offered a solution. He proposed a strategy that was both bold and practical. He suggested that, in certain contexts, separate congregations and structures for Black believers might allow the work to move forward more effectively. This was not an endorsement of division as an ideal, but a response to the barriers of the time. He believed that Black leaders could better reach Black communities and that administrative autonomy would strengthen the mission. Though controversial, this idea would later influence the development of Regional Conferences, which were eventually established in the 1940s, something he lived long enough to witness. Throughout the 1890s, Charles continued planting churches across the South. In Louisville, he helped organize a congregation that would become one of the earliest Black Adventist churches. He extended his work to places like Edgefield Junction, Bowling Green, New Orleans, Nashville, and Birmingham. These churches often began with small numbers, sometimes fewer than a dozen members, but they represented something far greater than statistics. They were the beginnings of a movement. His reports in the Review and Herald became a vital source of information for the wider church, documenting both progress and struggle. He described the realities on the ground with honesty, giving a voice to a work that might otherwise have been overlooked. Life was not without personal trials. In 1902, he married Viola, a woman who shared his faith and commitment. She worked as a teacher, contributing to the mission in her own way. Their life together was one of service, though it was marked by difficulty when her health began to fail. Charles gradually reduced his workload to care for her, demonstrating that his faithfulness extended beyond the pulpit into the quiet responsibilities of home. For many years, he labored with little recognition and often in isolation. He was, at times, the only Black ordained minister in the denomination. He faced financial hardship, opposition from other clergy, and the slow pace of institutional support. Yet he did not abandon his calling. He continued, steady and determined, driven not by recognition but by conviction. As the decades passed, the seeds he planted began to grow. The small congregations multiplied. The message spread. By the 1940s, the church officially organized Regional Conferences, creating structures that reflected the very vision Charles had proposed decades earlier. By the time of his death, Black membership in the church had grown into the tens of thousands, a testament to the foundation he had laid. Charles M. Kinney passed away in August 1951 at the age of ninety-six, in Nashville, Tennessee. He had lived long enough to see the early fruits of his labor, though the full impact of his life would continue to unfold long after his passing. Today, he is remembered as the “Father of Black Adventism,” a title that reflects not just what he did, but what he endured. His story is one of quiet strength, persistent faith, and unwavering commitment. He did not lead large crowds or build vast institutions in his lifetime, but he built something far more enduring, a foundation. His life reminds us that true greatness is not always loud or widely recognized. Sometimes, it is found in the steady work of a single individual who refuses to give up, even when the path is lonely and the obstacles are great. Charles M. Kinney was such a man. Gospel Angels Broadcasting