THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT JESUS` SACRIFICE He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” —Mark 14:34 Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life? If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through when He agonized at Gethsemane.  book of Hebrews tells us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (4:15–16 NLT).  Book of Isaiah tells us that Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (53:3 NLT). But the sorrow He experienced in Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion seemed to be the culmination of all the sorrow He had ever known and would accelerate to a climax the following day. The ultimate triumph that was to take place at Calvary was first accomplished beneath the gnarled, old olive trees of Gethsemane. Jesus shared His agony with His disciples. “He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’” (Mark 14:34 NLT It’s interesting that the very word Gethsemane means “olive press.” Olives were pressed there to make oil, and truly, Jesus was being pressed from all sides that He might bring life to us. I don’t think we can even begin to fathom what He was going through. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (NLT). That’s the hard truth of our salvation: Jesus had to suffer and die in our place. He had to endure the punishment that we deserved. He was crushed and beaten for our sake. He could have walked away, but He submitted to His Father’s will so that the plan of salvation could be accomplished.  His crushing and beating brought about your salvation and mine. Because of what Jesus went through at Gethsemane and ultimately at the cross, we can call on His name. Though His suffering and death were unfathomably excruciating, they were necessary for God’s ultimate goal.  Maybe you’re at a crisis point in your life right now—a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You know what you want, yet you can sense that God’s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, “Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done”? You will never regret making that decision.  God bless you!

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* MONDAY 17TH AUGUST, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD'S GRACE. *TOPIC:* OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS. *TEXT:* GENESIS 39:11-14. 11. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14. she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. *TOPIC:* OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS. *THE MESSAGE:* Temptation is a common test that comes in various forms and from different sources. Joseph faced a powerful and subtle temptation from Potiphar's wife, yet he refused to yield, relying on God's help. Though his resistance was reciprocated with harsh punishment, he remained faithful. Many young people, though called by God, have fallen into temptation and lost their voices and vitality. Today, many innocent young men and ladies have fallen victims of rape, sexual harassment in places of work or sex for good grades. Some church workers are not exempted from this awful sin. Have you harass or have been harassed sexually? Do not give the enemy a foothold. God's grace is available to all who desire victory. You can overcome temptation and live in freedom through His grace and word. *REFLECTION:* No temptation will pass your ability to resist. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to resist and flee temptation. 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:* EZEKIEL 4-6. ED.ii. GOD'S COVENANT WITH MAN "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man: You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." - Genesis 2:15-17 God's covenant or agreement with man was: 1) God said that man should cultivate the garden; 2) God said he had to take care of the garden. Adam's position as the ruler of the garden had to be preserved; 3) God said they could freely eat from all trees except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they ate from it, they would certainly die. The consequence of the fall But Adam and Eve broke this agreement. They believed the evil one and preferred to follow him, that creature who had disobeyed God, opposed God and was therefore thrown out of heaven. When this sin occurred, everything seemed lost. God made everything so beautiful and appointed Adam as ruler over this. However, when Adam and Eve sinned, Adam lost his position as ruler. They both became slaves to sin. God's rescue plan However, no one but God knew that He already had an escape route for man so man could regain his previous position. The Lamb of God, He was chosen before the creation of the world (see 1 Peter 1:20). This plan to save mankind was there before the world was created. The reason God allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross was because He wanted to give back to man the position he once had. Now man was able to rule over sin, over the evil one and over this earth. He could walk with God again and come into His presence. The human being is allowed to reign together with God as a Royal child. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. ⏤ Psalm 91:4 God does not want us to worry about the future. He wants us to trust Him today. ⏤ Corrie ten Boom Father, we are like little children in this vast world and cannot take care of ourselves. But we are so grateful that we are Your children and that You are our Father. We trust in Your eternal care. We know that You will never let us fall out of Your love and protection. As night falls again, we come close to You. We hide ourselves in the secret place of Your love and protection. We ask You to forgive all the sins we’ve committed against You today. Renew our hearts more deeply, so that we may keep Your commandments and live in harmony with Your will in both our thoughts and actions. Tonight, Father, we also remember Your other children around us. Some of them are happy; may they not forget You in their joy. Bless all pure happiness and let it lead to a closer relationship with You. Some of Your children are facing challenges. Some are struggling to find their daily bread. Some have sickness in their homes. Others have loved ones who are not living as they should, who do not love You or walk in Your ways, and their hearts are heavy with concern. Some have lost dear ones and are grieving deeply. For all these neighbors, we pray tonight. Bless them all. Give them the grace they need. Send relief and comfort in the way You know is best. And give us the grace to do our part in helping them in Your name, through Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/43/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

🌿 Mystical Gardens Tale 🌿 The Cooling Waters Jill had decided that summer had officially become personal. The heat had been unbearable for days. Not the pleasant kind of summer warmth that made people want to sit outside with a cold drink. This was the kind of heat that seemed to crawl beneath your skin and stay there. Jill woke up irritated. She stepped outside and immediately began sweating. “Wonderful,” she muttered. “It's going to be another one of those days.” Her car wouldn't start. “Of course it won't.” The air conditioner at work wasn't working properly. “Of course it isn't.” Someone had left a door open, letting hot air into the building. “Who does that?” Then someone accidentally bumped into her in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!” The woman stopped and stared at Jill. “I'm sorry.” Jill walked away without answering. She didn't notice the hurt look on the woman's face. By lunchtime, Jill was ready to scream. The restaurant was crowded. Someone's child was crying. A man at the next table was talking too loudly. The waitress brought Jill the wrong drink. “This isn't what I ordered.” “I apologize. I'll get you another one.” “And could you please get it right this time?” The waitress's smile disappeared. Jill didn't notice. Or perhaps she did, but she was too irritated to care. Everything seemed to bother her. A phone ringing. A dog barking. Someone chewing too loudly. A car driving too slowly. A person looking at her for what Jill was certain was too long. “What are you looking at?” she snapped. The man quickly looked away. By late afternoon, Jill was exhausted. And angry. Mostly angry. She couldn't even explain why anymore. All she knew was that everything was getting on her nerves. Then, on her way home, Jill saw something she hadn't seen before. A narrow path between two old trees. It hadn't been there yesterday. Jill stopped. She stared at it. Beyond the trees was a faint green glow. Normally, she would have walked away. But today she was hot, tired, frustrated, and completely out of patience and whatever was there had to be better than here, so she stepped onto the path. Within moments, the world changed. The heat disappeared. Jill stopped walking. A cool breeze brushed across her face. She closed her eyes. “Oh…” She hadn't realized how badly she needed that. The garden stretched out before her. Tall trees formed a canopy overhead. Little streams wound between moss-covered stones. Flowers opened beneath the shade, and somewhere nearby, water trickled over smooth rocks. There were no car horns. No ringing phones. No barking dogs. No crying children. No voices demanding anything from her. Just quiet. Beautiful, peaceful quiet. Jill sat beside the stream and dipped her hands into the cool water. For the first time all day, her shoulders relaxed. She took a deep breath. Then another. And suddenly, something uncomfortable happened... She began remembering. The woman in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!” The waitress. “Could you please get it right this time?” The man at the restaurant. “What are you looking at?” Her coworker. “Who does that?” One memory after another came rushing back. Jill lowered her head. “Oh no.” She hadn't simply been having a bad day. She had been handing that bad day to everyone around her. She had taken her frustration, her discomfort, and her exhaustion and thrown them at people who hadn't caused any of it. The garden remained silent. But Jill had the strange feeling that the giant tree at the center of the garden was watching her. “I was miserable,” she whispered. A leaf drifted down beside her. Jill picked it up. “I was hot. I was tired. Everything was going wrong.” She sighed. “But that doesn't mean I had to make everybody else miserable too.” The breeze moved gently through the branches. Jill smiled sadly. “You know what's worse?” She looked toward the path. “I don't even know if any of them deserved an apology from me.” She paused. “Of course they do.” For the first time that day, Jill laughed at herself. She had spent hours thinking everyone else was the problem. But the garden had given her something the heat never could. Perspective. Jill stood. “I can't undo what I said.” She looked toward the great tree. “But I can go back and do better.” The garden seemed to grow a little brighter. Jill stepped onto the path. The heat returned when she reached the other side. But something inside her had changed. The temperature hadn't changed. Her circumstances hadn't changed. Her car was still broken. The air conditioner still wasn't working. Tomorrow might be just as hot. But Jill wasn't going to let the heat decide who she was. The next morning, she found the woman from the hallway. “I'm sorry,” Jill said. The woman looked surprised. “For yesterday. You didn't deserve the way I spoke to you.” Then Jill found the waitress. She apologized there too. And when someone accidentally bumped into her later that afternoon, Jill felt irritation rising inside her. She opened her mouth. Then stopped. She took a breath. “It's okay,” she said. The person smiled. And Jill smiled back. That evening, Jill returned to the garden. She sat beneath the great tree with her feet beside the cool stream. “Thank you,” she whispered. She finally understood something the garden had been trying to teach her. Sometimes we are uncomfortable. Sometimes we are tired. Sometimes the world seems to be working against us. And sometimes we have every reason to be frustrated. But our circumstances may explain why we're hurting without giving us permission to hurt someone else. The garden could cool Jill's skin. But only she could choose to cool the anger in her heart. And that choice was worth far more than a cool breeze. Seed from the Garden “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1 You may not be able to control the heat, the noise, the traffic, the broken air conditioner, or the things other people do. But you can choose what you do with the frustration those things create inside you. Before you hand your bad day to someone else, stop. Breathe. Cool down. And remember: They may not be the reason you're hurting. Don't make them pay for it. #christianwriter #christianfiction #christianfantasy #stacyfrantz #MysticalGardens

The Book of Jude verse 11-13 Yes I found this one very important to mention because we can see its sprinkles and actions being applied in the world of Christians today. These things were recorded but not many have gained a heart of wisdom after hearing them. He describes the sorrow that met with 1.Cain because of allowing his flesh to control him, his jealousy led him to kill his brother Abel. 2.Balaam because of his greed he refused to obey God's voice. As the Word says their God is their stomach, he literally used his spiritual influence not to give God Glory but for personal influence. 3.Korah rebelled against God's-given authority. Yes he challenged the authority God had established through Moses and Aaron by rebelling and refusing God’s order.. How many can we see behaving like Cain , Balaam, and Korakh. yes they are many.. Warning About Them -.These are considered as the most dangerous people especially to dine with during fellowship meals . Yes they are called dangerous reefs that can shipwreck someone. -. You can imagine of shepherds who don't care for their flocks but only care about themselves. Yes they allow their flocks to be preyed to by the wolves when you see one watchful.. -.Every man is expectant and so it is for the children who are born of the spirit. They are expected to deliver what they have been sent.. Today we are being warned of them who are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. -.Indeed the Word says they shall be known by their fruits... Yes this is a reminder of their description again that yes they are there like trees in autumn that are doubly dead bearing nor fruits and because they are spiritually barren. What they are good at. =.As wild waves their lives are unstable, rebellious, and full of shame. =.As wandering stars they are misleading and without direction, leading others away from truth. =. As the blackest darkness their rebellion ultimately leads to God’s judgment. What To know God constantly warns us of such because in a lifetime they appear. We are living in a times where people are so reluctant to believe God's warnings. We tend to take everything like it's a story. But today I will ask you to look around, your spaces of God in nations, counties , states, communities be on guard so that you can avoid meeting up with this dangerous reed that is capable of shipwrecking you. Remember anything can be shipwrecked starting from your calling, marriage, families, business, children anything can. Prayer Father Lord, thank you for every Word you have revealed. We are conscious of every warning written in your Holy Word. We pray we will not be found amongst these but we be found amongst them that follows thee dearly. Help us to fear and listen to what the spirit says. Also remember Mercy in Jesus Christ name we pray 🙏. #Amen

Daily devotion: Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no corn, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my saviour.” The one thing that no one can deny is that the human race is flailing under the oppression of pure evil. Never, in my lifetime, has the world been filled with so much anger, hatred and death. People are out of control. This current generation continues to mock God and the faithful. It also seems that nature itself turned its back on people. Fire and earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, drought and famine, pestilence. And I’m not even mentioning the events happening in space. The world is filled with godless people. You look at the news and see the devil in their eyes. They are not hiding anymore. These are similar to the days of Noah and it has been prophesied that, in endtimes, people will be selfish and arrogant, lovers of money and superficial appearances. They will mock our God and refuse to repent. They ask: “Where is this God of yours. Show me the scientific evidence of His existence.” Do they not understand that even THEY were CREATED by God. THEY are the evidence. Every single cell of all that lives on this planet, humans, animals, plants, has been made by God Himself. Our purpose on earth is to worship our Lord and to spread the gospel. As Christians we should not fear the things that are happening and the things that are still coming. We may live difficult lives, but still we need to rejoice in the Lord. It may seem impossible to praise God in times of anguish, but just look at what Habakkuk 3:19 says: “The Sovereign LORD gives me strength. He makes me sure-footed as a deer, and keeps me safe on the mountains.” God is within each one of us and we should look towards the future with joy and exaltation, for He is steadfast, He is almighty, He is the ONE God. He sees through the artificial smiles, He knows what troubles your heart and He will take care of you ALWAYS. #Christianity #JesusChrist #Faith #Hope #prayer

God's Creation, 100 / evolution, 0 God designed the eagle to build its nest high in towering trees and on the sheer sides of mountains, keeping both parents and young safe from predators. He equipped these birds with astonishing eyesight, roughly four times sharper than ours. From a thousand feet in the air, an eagle can pick out a rabbit roaming anywhere within a three-square-mile area. That kind of precision is no accident. It is design. Here are a few more remarkable facts about eagles: Bald eagles are not bald. Their snowy white head feathers contrast with their dark brown bodies, creating the appearance of a bare head. The longest recorded lifespan for an eagle is 38 years. Eagles build some of the largest nests in the bird world. Most are 2 to 4 feet deep and 4 to 5 feet wide, but the biggest ever found measured 20 feet deep and 9.5 feet wide and weighed more than two tons. Female eagles are larger than males. Bald eagles live only in North America. Scripture captures their majesty perfectly: “Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold. From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away.” Job 39:27 through 29 KJV

Conflict and Courage. 2 Kings 5:5-14 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8, 9. Naaman the Syrian consulted the prophet of God as to how he could be cured of a loathsome disease, the leprosy. He was bidden to go and bathe in Jordan seven times. Why did he not immediately follow the directions of Elisha, the prophet of God? ... In his mortification and disappointment he became passionate, and in a rage refused to follow the humble course marked out by the prophet of God. “I thought,” said he, “he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” His servant said: “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash [merely], and be clean?” Yes, this great man considered it beneath his dignity to go to the humble river Jordan, and wash. The rivers he mentioned and desired were beautified by surrounding trees and groves, and idols were placed in these groves. Many flocked to these rivers to worship their idol gods; therefore it would have cost him no humility. But it was following the specified directions of the prophet which would humble his proud and lofty spirit. Willing obedience would bring the desired result. He washed, and was made whole.13Testimonies for the Church 2:309, 310. Our plans are not always God's plans.... In His loving care and interest for us, often He who understands us better than we understand ourselves refuses to permit us selfishly to seek the gratification of our own ambition.... Many things He ask us to yield to Him, but in doing this we are but giving up that which hinders us in the heavenward way.... In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.14The Ministry of Healing, 473, 474.

COME OF AGE!! COME ALIVE!! You have dwelt for so long in this place, rise and take your journey.....that was God speaking to the children of Israel DEUTERONOMY 1:6. They became comfortable seating in Elam, where there were seventy palm trees. They forgot that the land they were crossing over to possess was flowing with milk and honey. Many of us carry anointing that the world is waiting for but we are comfortable at a peasant level. My mentor, the apostle Paul, declares that "the earnest expectations of the creation EARGRRLY AWAITS the manifestation of the sons of God" of which you are one. Questions: 1. How prepared are you? 2. What are you doing to prepare yourself? 3. Have you discovered yourself? The sick is waiting for your healing anointing. The demon possessed is waiting for deliverance and they are waiting for you. The captives are yearning for freedom and God has appointed you to accomplish that mission. How far about it? wake up, sleeping giants. Wake up your anointing. HOW TO WAKE THE GIANT IN YOU. 1. Prayer and fasting. Isaiah 40:29-31 2. Studying the Bible a though you have exam (1Tim.4:15) 3. meditate on the word and declaring and appropriating the word to yourself Philemon 1:6) The word is not only for the generation past. What God said to Moses and Jesus and John, he said to us all. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. whatever I bbind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever I loose on earth is loosed in heaven. I am a fortified city, a wall of Bronz and an iron pillar, nations, kings, princes and nobles shall fight against ke but they shall not prosper. get your myself a copy of my book THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE by Chimezie Isaac EZEONYE on Amazon or contact me for a cheaper PDF format. Jesus is LORD.

COME OF AGE!! COME ALIVE!! You have dwelt for so long in this place, rise and take your journey.....that was God speaking to the children of Israel DEUTERONOMY 1:6. They became comfortable seating in Elam, where there were seventy palm trees. They forgot that the land they were crossing over to possess was flowing with milk and honey. Many of us carry anointing that the world is waiting for but we are comfortable at a peasant level. My mentor, the apostle Paul, declares that "the earnest expectations of the creation EARGRRLY AWAITS the manifestation of the sons of God" of which you are one. Questions: 1. How prepared are you? 2. What are you doing to prepare yourself? 3. Have you discovered yourself? The sick is waiting for your healing anointing. The demon possessed is waiting for deliverance and they are waiting for you. The captives are yearning for freedom and God has appointed you to accomplish that mission. How far about it? wake up, sleeping giants. Wake up your anointing. HOW TO WAKE THE GIANT IN YOU. 1. Prayer and fasting. Isaiah 40:29-31 2. Studying the Bible a though you have exam (1Tim.4:15) 3. meditate on the word and declaring and appropriating the word to yourself Philemon 1:6) The word is not only for the generation past. What God said to Moses and Jesus and John, he said to us all. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. whatever I bbind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever I loose on earth is loosed in heaven. I am a fortified city, a wall of Bronz and an iron pillar, nations, kings, princes and nobles shall fight against ke but they shall not prosper. get your myself a copy of my book THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE by Chimezie Isaac EZEONYE on Amazon or contact me for a cheaper PDF format. Jesus is LORD.

Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. The words of today’s verse were spoken by John the Baptist. They came right after he called the religious leaders a brood of vipers. His ministry was always focused on true repentance from people as he prepared the way for Jesus. But the religious leaders relied on their heritage rather than heart change. And John called them out for it. John’s instructions were simple - product fruit while being repentant. But what exactly does this mean? The Pharisees and Sadducees came to the river not to confess and be changed, but to see what was going on and possibly to pass judgement. They were not there for any reason other than curiosity. They assumed that the fact they were descended from Abraham granted them favor before God. And John was actively preaching that people needed to turn back to God as the kingdom of heaven approached. Salvation was not inherited from their ancestors or lineage. Real inner repentance will produce evidence that others can see. Someone who is living a life of sin will have a visible change in their life when they repent and turn to God. You will see drug addicts seek help to get clean, alcoholics seek help with addiction, promiscuous people stopping the sexual behaviors, liars confessing and making amends, and so on. People they hung out with before changing complain that they are not who they used to be, that they are “Jesus freaks” or religious nuts because they don’t like the changes they see in them. There is evidence that their lives have changed and they are living for God. John continued with his warning after this verse. He went on to say that trees that do not produce good fruit get cut down and thrown into the fire. Empty religious titles and positions mean nothing. They do not guarantee anything. There is no value in them. Genuine transformation only comes when a person repents and turns back to God. Repentance is a complete turn around, a u-turn. It is only when we come to Him broken and humbled that we find grace and mercy. #TEENS4JESUS #devotion #dailydevotional #christianteens #DailyBibleVerse