Daily Reading - "And They Crucified Him" Mk 15:24 NIV

This is how it read today...

Fri. April 2

"AND THEY CRUCIFIED HIM." (MK 15:24 NIV)

CRUCIFIXION

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In The Expositor's Bible Commentary C. Truman Davis, M.D. writes, "What is crucifixion? A medical doctor provides a physical description: 'As he slowly sags down...on the nails in the wrists, excrutiating pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain-the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid stretching torment, he places teh full weight on the nail through his feet. Again in agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of the feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath...hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rendering cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over - the loss of tissue fluids reaches critical level - the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues - the tortued lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues...finally he can allow his body to die." The Bible records it in these words: "And they crucified him."

Special Holiday Selection Trio - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" "The First Noel" "Joy To The World"

Daily Reading - "They Presented Gifts To Him." Mt 2:11 NKJV

Here is how it reads today.

Fri. Dec 25

"THEY PRESENTED GIFTS TO HIM."

Quite A Story, Isn't It?

In the Christmas story we learn that: (1) God can use people you don't know to bless you. They wise men weren't devout Jews or committed Christians, but Persian stargazers. Don't be selective; you'll tie God's hands. Open your heart and you'll start seeing Him reaching out to you through the most interesting people. (2) God can take care of your tomorrows. Joseph and Mary would have to leave home and flee Egypt. What would they live on? Gold, frankincense and myth, gifts only the rich can give. When you're in the will of God He will provide for you. He may do it through your job or the generosity of others, but he will do it. You don't have to stay up all night worrying, trying to figure out how to make ends meet. The Psalmist said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Ps 37:25). (3) God can override the system and get you the help you need. "The star guided them to where the young child should be born" (See MT 2:9). In the history of the solar system there's never been anything like it. God moved a star like we move a pawn in a chess game. That's because He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph 1:11). The story reads: "When they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myth." Quite a story, isn't it?

Happy Thanksgiving

Just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who reads my blog and say thank you for getting to no me more and I appreciate you taking an interest in my life and my thoughts.