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Lighten up With Laughter

4/18/2019

A man and his ten-year-old son were on a fishing trip miles from home. At the boy's insistence, they decided to attend the Sunday worship service at a small rural church. The father forgot to bring any cash, so he reached in his pocket and gave his son a dime to drop in the offering plate as it was passed.

As they walked back to their car after the service, the father complained. "The service was too long," he lamented. "The sermon was boring, and the singing was off key."

Finally the boy said, "Daddy, I thought it was pretty good for a dime."

Don't miss the opportunity you have to receive the blessing of giving this month to Hugh's News on Good Friday 2019

4/18/2019

The Rev. Dr. Hugh H. Morgan, Founder, CEO, Editor of Hugh's News, Inc.

Probably the most quoted saying of Jesus Christ is this: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

The word blessed means: more profitable and more fruitful. The miracle of giving happens the moment we release the gift and God blessed what His Son, Jesus Christ, has said. God honors His Word above His Name.

You can experience the joy of blessedness by giving today to help Hugh Morgan to continue producing Hugh's News.

To assist you in knowing how to give via a Credit Card or by sending a check via our postal service, please Click Here.

Thank you for your generosity in giving. May the Good Lord bless you abundantly.

I want you to know that my Jesus loves you more than I could ever love you. What a wonderful Savior and Lord we have.

Pam Martin-Wells has been named Head Coach of the upcoming Bass Fishing team at Emmanuel College

4/18/2019

Pam Martin-Wells new Head Coach of the upcoming Bass Fishing Team at Emmanuel College

FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA -- Pam Martin-Wells has been named Head Coach of the upcoming Bass Fishing team at Emmanuel College. Martin-Wells joins Emmanuel after a very successful career as a professional angler.

Martin-Wells hails from Bainbridge, Georgia with her husband Steven Wells. She is the women's all-time leading money winner and is a 27 time Classic qualifier. Some of her most successful accomplishments include placing 22nd at the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, winning the inaugural Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship, and being named Angler of the Year 8 different times. Martin-Wells has appeared on four bass fishing magazine covers in addition to being featured in several magazine articles. She has also made several television appearances including Bassmaster, Bass Edge, and Georgia Traveler.

"Pam's wealth of bass fishing knowledge and experience will play a vital role in our inaugural bass fishing season," Says Athletic Director Nate Moorman. "She has a lot to offer our future anglers and we're excited to see how far she will take this program."

The Bass Fishing team will kick off their inaugural season next fall. The program will compete in top nationally recognized tournaments, such as the FLW Outdoors College Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Bass Fishing Series.

For more news on Emmanuel College Athletics, visit goeclions.com.

Why Did Jesus Die? -- by Anne Graham Lotz

4/18/2019

While attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, I heard a Muslim imam say that he did not believe in vicarious atonement for sin. In other words, he did not believe the death of Jesus was necessary.

Have you ever heard someone say that there are other ways to God besides Jesus? That all religions are equal? That as long as we are sincere in what we believe, a loving God will accept us? That the cross was not necessary? That if our good works outweigh our bad works, we can hope to go to Heaven?

But if there are other ways to God besides Jesus, if all religions are equal, if God accepts all those who are sincere in their beliefs, if our good works earn us a ticket to Heaven, then why did Jesus die?

If there was any other way to offer us forgiveness of sin, to reconcile us to God, to give us eternal life, and to open Heaven for us when we die, God would have found it. He never would have sent Jesus to die on the cross. There simply is no other way.

Read John 18-19
I. JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE ANYONE

A. EVEN THOSE WHO BETRAY HIM

Describe Judas from the following verses: Luke 6:16; John 6:71; 12:1-8; 13:26-30; Luke 22:3-4, 47-48.
Using your imagination, describe Judas’ experience as a disciple of Jesus on the following occasions: John 6:1-14, 16-21; 9:1-7; 11:38-44.
Why do you think Judas betrayed Jesus?
To whom did Judas confess his sin? See Matthew 27:3-5. Why was this confession insufficient? See John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5.
If Judas had gone to Jesus and confessed his sin, do you think Jesus would have forgiven him? What word in John 3:16 answers this question? 2 Peter 3:9?
What are some ways that you and I betray Jesus when we claim Him as our Savior and Lord, yet give our heart and time to something else?
Have you betrayed Jesus? Would you confess it now and ask Him to forgive you?

B. EVEN THOSE WHO DOUBT HIM

What did Annas, the former high priest, question Jesus about? Read John 18:19.
Apply Annas’ questions to doubts people have today.
What did Caiaphas question in Matthew 26:63?
Apply Caiaphas’ question and his dramatic denial of Jesus’ answer in Matthew 26:64-66 to people’s doubts today.
What doubts do you have about God’s Word?
Why is it important to resolve your doubts, according to Matthew 14:31? Matthew 21:21? Mark 11:23? James 1:6?
What doubts about Jesus do you have? Confess your doubts to Him, ask His forgiveness, then place your faith in Him and in His Word.

C. EVEN THOSE WHO DENY HIM

Describe Peter’s confidence in Matthew 26:31-35.
Describe his denial of Jesus in Matthew 26:69-75.
Use the following verses to describe why you think Peter repeatedly denied Jesus when he had been clearly warned and had sworn that he would not: Proverbs 11:2; 16:18. Compare Mark 14:32-38 with Proverbs 6:9-11.
What are some things you and I can do to guard against this sin? Read Psalm 56:3-4; 1 Peter 4:16; 1 Corinthians 16:13.
What wisdom learned from his own experience does Peter share in 1 Peter 5:8-9?
How do you and I deny Jesus today?
Describe a time when you have denied Him. Would you confess it to Him now and ask His forgiveness?

D. EVEN THOSE WHO REJECT HIM

Relate John 1:11 to Matthew 26:57-67.
Relate John 1:10 to John 19:1-16.
Who do you know that has rejected Jesus?
What encouragement do you find in the following passages: Acts 2:22-24? Acts 2:36 with 37-41? Acts 3:13-15 with 4:4?
If you have rejected Jesus, what do you need to do? Read Acts 3:19-20; John 1:12. What is keeping you from just doing it? Now?
If your sin is none of those listed above, what is it? Would you confess it, using the same name for it that God does, and ask Him to cleanse you with the blood of Jesus? 1 John 1:8-10.

II. JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE ANYTHING

A. HIS DEATH IS OUR SACRIFICE

From the following verses, describe what God’s law required in order for a sinner to obtain forgiveness: Leviticus 5:5-6, 17-19; 17:11.
Did the sacrifices under the Old Covenant really take away sin? Read Hebrews 10:3-4. If not, why were the sacrifices required?
How was the sacrificial law an audiovisual aid of who Jesus is and what He would do? Give phrases from: Isaiah 53:1-12; John 1:29; Romans 3:22-25; Hebrews 13:11-12; 1 John 4:10.
Is there any other sacrifice for sin we can offer that God will accept?
When have you claimed Jesus as God’s sacrifice for your sin?

B. HIS DEATH IS OUR SUBSTITUTE

Describe God’s instructions to Moses in Exodus 12:1-7 and 12-13, noting key phrases.
What two things were necessary to secure salvation from God’s judgment? Base your answer on phrases from Exodus.
As though speaking to someone outside the church, or to a child, explain how the Passover is a picture of Jesus. Read Matthew 26:2;
1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
How relevant to your future is this word picture? Read Revelation 5:1-13; 7:9-17; 12:10-11; 21:1-2, 22-23; 22:3.
When judgment comes, either at your death or when Jesus returns, will it pass over you? Why?

C. HIS DEATH IS SUFFICIENT

What further sacrifice does God require for our sin? See Hebrews 10:5-14, 17-18.
How is this confirmed by Jesus’ own words spoken from the cross? See John 19:30.
When you claim the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, what sin is forgiven? Give phrases from: 1 John 1:7, 9; 2:2, 12; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13-15. Apply each phrase to your own life.
Besides obtaining God’s forgiveness, what other blessings does the blood of Jesus secure for the believer? Read Revelation 1:5-6; Hebrews 10:19-22; Romans 5:9; Colossians 1:19-20.

This Easter, would you thank God for sending His only, beloved Son to die on the cross as His sacrifice for your sin? Thank Him by confessing your sin and living humbly in His forgiveness. Then go and tell someone else why Jesus died. ©2019 Anne Graham Lotz

Adapted from an article originally published in April 2006.

Anne Graham Lotz has proclaimed God’s Word worldwide for more than 40 years. Her latest book, The Daniel Key, is available from major booksellers.

The Tragedy of Notre-Dame de Paris -- by Eric Davis

4/18/2019

GodefroyParis

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was the late ‘80s and my first trip to France. My French grandfather, Georges Lycan, had just picked us up from Orly and was giving us a flyby tour of Paris on our way to his country home in the Loire Valley. It was a stunning site of both intimidating grandeur and breathtaking beauty.

As the years went by, I started traveling around France on my own and enjoyed visiting Notre-Dame several more times. I eventually went to school in France at the Universite Catholique de l’Ouest and enjoyed the stunning sites around the country. But Notre-Dame remained at the top. I loved going back to Paris, getting off on the Saint-Michel Notre-Dame metro stop, walking east on Quai Saint-Michel, crossing Pont de Coeurs onto Ile de la Cite, and there they were; the towering, 226-ft tall towers.

I learned to appreciate the cathedral more as I developed an eye for detail. The statued-portals at the entrance. The towering rib-vaulted ceilings. The nave. The stunning, stained-glass rose windows. The spire above the apse. The flying buttresses. The architectural genius of it all. And of course, the thousands of gargoyles. As a French citizen, I, along with many, felt that Notre-Dame was a rich part of our heritage. Needless to say, the burning of the cathedral on Monday was a tragedy.

However, as tragic as the fire of this great structure was, there is a greater tragedy concerning Notre-Dame de Paris.

Notre-Dame’s history is fascinating. Records indicate that it was built upon multiple other churches and religious structures dating back to ancient Roman paganism. Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris then began in 1163, during the glory days of Roman Catholicism, under the supervision of Bishop Maurice de Sully, who succeeded Peter Lombard in the episcopal see of Paris. The cathedral, whose name means, “Our Lady,” is considered “more than a historical monument, but “above all, the House of God,” and a “high place of Christendom.”

In the aftermath of the fire, many non-Catholics have praised the structure as a symbol of history and culture, paying no heed to its religious significance. However, those who oversaw its construction and continue to oversee its ecclesiastics, along with faithful Roman Catholics today, understand that nothing could be further from the truth. Notre-Dame de Paris is, and was, in no way intended to be a spiritually-religiously neutral structure. Instead, it preaches and promotes all the essentials of Roman theology. And therein lies its greater tragedy.

Notre-Dame is riddled with stunning artistry. Original designers had good reason for it: most who entered the medieval structure for Roman Catholic Mass were illiterate. They could not read the word of God for themselves. Thus, the paintings, carvings, and reliefs were intended to preach what Rome holds as absolute truth. Sadly, however, much error and heresy is preached therefrom. It would be impossible to catalogue every example of Notre-Dame’s theology-through-art. Here are a few.

1. The Tragedy of Notre-Dame’s Gospel

As you enter the cathedral, front and center is what’s called the “Portal of the Last Judgement.” Construction here began about 1230 and features Jesus in the center, with Mary, angels, and probably the apostle John surrounding. Mary and John are said to be praying for the lost souls. As you move down, there is the angel Michael weighing souls in a scale with Satan standing by. If the “life they have waged on earth” is enough, and the scales tip, they do not go to hell. If not, they do (featured by a goulish-looking demon leading the damned away). Below that, the physically dead are being raised for their judgment. Surrounding the scene are angels and saints who made it to heaven. Christ is there. But so are those scales.

So, if you were an average French guy in medieval times, you would proceed utterly exhausted from frequent sickness, strenuous manual labor, and superstitious life to Mass each week, unable to read or understand Latin. As you looked up at the portal, you were confronted with Michael, demons, and the scales. Sadly, this coincides well with the false, works-based gospel of Roman Catholicism.

From the Council of Trent, 6th session, Canon 30:

If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporary punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema.

In other words, if you believe that, by faith alone in Christ alone, all of your sin—past, present, future—is completely forgiven, with no guilt or punishment from God remaining, with the result that you stand permanently righteous before God, then you are damned. The only individuals said to be in heaven for certain in Rome’s theology are the saints.

However, Scripture affirms exactly what Rome condemns:

“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28).

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

Right standing with God is a gift granted on the basis of faith alone in Jesus Christ. Sinners stand permanently righteous before holy God as a gift of his grace, not works, and by faith alone in Jesus Christ, not grace-infused works (Eph. 2:8-9 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ).

2. The Tragedy of Notre-Dame’s Mass

Mass is central to Rome, as the Eucharist is a critical, justification-furthering sacrament in Roman Catholicism. At Notre-Dame, Mass is held about four times per day Monday through Saturday, and six times on Sunday. For the faithful Catholic, Mass is a highlight of visiting the cathedral.
notredamedeparis.fr/en/

As you walk into the cathedral, it’s clear what the central focus is; the altar. And you will not see a pulpit front-and-center. Only the altar. Notre-Dame’s altar is a stunning, but provocative, site. First, there is the marble rectanglur platform, about twenty-feet long, nearly four-feet tall, with golden carvings around the base. But what really grabs the eye is the huge carving just behind and above the altar. On a raised platform is about a ten-foot-tall carving of Mary, seated, eyes to heaven, arms out, with the dead body of Jesus in her lap, surrounded by angels. This is center, and what irresistibly grabs the eye. It’s intended to be the main attraction at Notre-Dame de Paris.

The statues have major theological significance. Jesus’s massive dead body towers over the huge altar. Why? Because that is what Rome teaches occurs at each Mass; the need to perpetually sacrifice Jesus:

“As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which our Pasch has been sacrificed is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out” (CCC# 1364).

“In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner” (CCC #1367).

In other words, at every Mass, the priest summons Christ to be re-sacrificed so that one’s salvation can be furthered. The implication is, that our justification is incomplete on the basis of Christ’s once-for-all substitutionary death. Scripture, however, teaches the opposite:

“And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:11-12).

Thus, the Mass ought to be completely abandoned.

3. The Tragedy of Notre-Dame’s Mariolatry

The name of the cathedral says enough. Notre-Dame was unapologetically consecrated to the Virgin Mary from its beginning. Again, the time of its construction were the glory days of Catholicism; a time in which Mariolatry was vital as it is now.
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There are multiple spots for veneration of Mary at Notre-Dame. The first is “The Portal of the Virgin” under the North Tower, just left of the Portal of Judgment. What catches the eye is the top scene: Mary in heaven, seated on a throne next to Jesus. He is handing her a scepter, while an angel sets a crown on her head. Thus, one must conclude that Mary is the Queen of Heaven who rules with a scepter at the right hand of Christ. And the unfortunate medieval French peasants wouldn’t know any better because they couldn’t read that the Bible teaches no such thing.

Below that depicts Mary lying on her death bed, surrounded by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. Two angels at Mary’s head and feet are in the process of bringing her to heaven. The purpose of it all is to preach Mary’s coronation, sovereignty, and redemptive work from heaven.

Exaltation of Mary continues as you proceed into the cathedral. Beside (and in addition to) the altar, the most prized statue in Notre-Dame is the statue of Mary, Queen of Heaven. White flowers always honor her, with the title of “Our Lady of Paris.” From the origins of the cathedral in the twelfth century, an altar dedicated to the Virgin was placed at this location. It is said that, “For more than eight centuries, pilgrims and visitors pray at the foot of this statue Mary, Queen of Heaven; these prayers carried by many flames of devotion, burning days and nights throughout the year.”
ledinside.com

Paul Claudel is said to have converted to Catholicism under the statue on Christmas of 1886. He subsequently wrote this, which is a famous prayer for the cathedral:

It is noon. I see the church open. You have to enter.
Mother of Jesus Christ, I do not come to pray. I have nothing to offer and nothing to ask. I only come, Mother, to look at you. To look at you, to cry with happiness, to know that I am your son and that you are there.

And there is the Litanies of the Virgin, established sometime in the 16th century. Still sung today, this litany is a prayer to Mary that is inspired by the North stained-glass windows. The prayer to Mary is as follows:

Gate of Righteousness, Seat of Wisdom, Cause of our Joy, Spiritual Vase, Vase of Honor, Eminent Vase of Piety, Mystic Rose, Tower of David, Ivory Tower, Golden House, Ark of the Covenant, Gate from Heaven, Morning Star, Salvation of the sick…

There is also the Angelus, which is prayed every morning at Notre-Dame before the first mass and everyday at noon. Among other things, it says:

Pray for us, Holy Mother of God, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.

The list goes on. And, Rome has not softened, but strengthened, her Mariolatry since the construction of Notre-Dame.

Pope Leo XIII said in an encyclical on September 22, 1891, “As no man goeth to the Father by but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother.”

In another encyclical from September 8, 1892, Leo said, “It is a great thing in any saint to have grace sufficient for salvation of many souls; but to have enough to suffice for the salvation of everybody in the world is the greatest of all; and this is found in Christ and the Blessed Virgin.”

In other words, Mary herself possesses the righteousness to save every soul. Thus, she holds a status equivalent to that of Christ.

Alphonsus Ligouri, a saint and doctor of Rome, wrote one of the most popular Mariolatry devotionals in Roman Catholicism, called, “The Glories of Mary.” In it, he wrote the following:

With reason does the ancient writer call her ‘the only hope of sinners,’ for by her help alone can we hope for the remission of sins (83).

All obey the commands of Mary—even God himself (202).

Pope John Paul II once said, “The history of Christian piety teaches that Mary is the way which leads to Christ.” And after his 1981 assassination attempt, he credited Mary with saving his life.

Needless to say, Mary, a sinner saved by grace like the rest of us, would be horrified at such Mariolatry (Luke 1:47 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] , Mark 3:33-35 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ). Whether we call it veneration, adoration, or something else, Rome promotes the idolatrous worship of a mere human, Mary.

4. The Tragedy of Notre-Dame’s Idolatry

In step with Roman Catholic theology, there is much idolatry throughout the cathedral. Saints are exalted on nearly every wall. On July 7th, 1456, Joan of Arc was declared innocent and a martyr, then in 1909 Pope Pius X beatified her from Notre-Dame.

Some might argue, “Look, it’s just art and preference. It’s not meant to be absolute truth.” That may be the sentiment of a 21st century post-modern audience, but it certainly was not during Rome’s glory days of medieval times, nor is it now. Notre-Dame’s message is consistent with current Roman Catholic doctrine. What the cathedral preaches is intended to be truth; fact; theological reality pertaining to all humanity. Thus, it will not do for today’s audience to impose unfortunate modern fantasies on what was meant to communicate spiritual absolute for mankind.

5. The Tragedy of Notre-Dame’s Relics

Among Notre-Dame’s prized possessions is her reliquary, located in the cathedral’s sacristy (though some were relocated during the fire). She boasts of many relics. There are at least three worth mentioning.

A Fragment of the Wood of the Cross

Preserved in a crystal case is a 24-cm long piece of wood which is said to be from the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

John Calvin’s observation in his Treatise on Relics from the 16th century is telling:

Now let us consider how many relics of the true cross there are in the world. An account of those merely with which I am acquainted would fill a whole volume, for there is not a church, from a cathedral to the most miserable abbey or parish church, that does not contain a piece. Large splinters of it are preserved in various places, as for instance in the Holy Chapel at Paris, whilst at Rome they show a crucifix of considerable size made entirely, they say, from this wood. In short, if we were to collect all these pieces of the true cross exhibited in various parts, they would form a whole ship’s cargo.

A Nail from the Cross

Also in Notre-Dame’s reliquary is another crystal tube, this one with a golden silver head and tip. Inside is a three-and-a-half-inch long nail which is said to have been one of the nails with which Christ was crucified. One of the problems with this relic, however, is that first century Roman nails were well over twice as long as this one, and more like spikes than nails. Additionally, there are at least nine other cathedrals/locations claiming to possess nails from Christ’s cross.

A worshiper kisses the crown of thrones

The Crown of Thorns

The most prized object at Notre-Dame sits in a circular gold and glass tube bound together by golden threads. It is believed to be the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. The spines and rushes from the crown, however, are no longer included, as it is said that they were long-ago sold to emperors and kings.

Notre-Dame’s “Holy Crown of Thorns” is said to have been an object of devotion for more than 1600 years since it was removed from the Basilica of Zion in Jerusalem. Over those sixteen centuries, supposedly, this crown has carried the “fervent prayer of Christendom.” Many were thrilled to learn that the crown of thorns had been rescued from the fire. However, twenty-one other churches and cathedrals around the world also report possessing part of the crown of thorns.

Notre-Dame’s crown of thorns is brought out on the first Friday of every month at 3 pm, guarded by the Knights, such that “the Holy Relics are exposed for veneration and adoration by the faithful before the cathedral’s high altar [and] every Good Friday; this adoration lasts all day, punctuated by the liturgical offices.”
notredamedeparis.fr/en/spiritualite/

These, of course, are a small fraction of the profuse relicolatry in Roman Catholicism. Rome upholds the veneration of relics as inerrant doctrine. The Council of Trent, teaches that Catholic clergy are to “especially instruct the faithful diligently concerning the intercession and invocation of saints; the honour (paid) to relics; and the legitimate use of images” (Session 25).

Further,

“[T]hey who affirm that veneration and honour are not due to the relics of the saints, or that these and other sacred monuments are uselessly honoured by the faithful, and that the places dedicated to the memories of the saints are in vain visited with the view of obtaining their aid, are wholly to be condemned, as the Church has already long since condemned, and also now condemns them” (Council of Trent, Session 25).

Relicolatry is a flagrant violation of the most basic and essential commands in Scripture (Exod. 20:3-5 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ). Whether we use the terms “veneration,” “adoration,” “devotion,” or “fervent prayer,” is of no relevance. It is enshrining the creation over the Creator, and thus pagan idolatry.

Relicolatry is the kind of nonsense that must be abandoned in totality. It is an insult to human intelligence and the rational use of dignified human faculties. Relicolatry is a practice with no Biblical basis, being far more akin to superstitious paganism. Further, it is an affront to the sober and serious worship of the true God according to the Word of God. It also trivializes Who should be worshiped, elevating the thing that touched God to the place of the God that it touched.

Conclusion

The recent fire of Notre-Dame de Paris was a tragedy. Much was lost of an architectural and artistic marvel. However, if Christians are going to be sober-minded people of love and truth (Eph. 4:14-15 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ), we must admit that there lies a greater tragedy in it all. For close to a millennia, Notre-Dame de Paris has propagated catastrophic error as it pertains to truths concerning heaven, hell, the Gospel, and the salvation of man. The theological position of the cathedral is not one which would lead an individual to heaven. Thus, we can say that the loss of such a structure is no more a threat to Biblical Christianity than the loss of obscure pagan artistry. The burning of such a structure will not render anyone’s soul and eternity in jeopardy. The heretical theology of such a structure will. We must keep spiritual reality as top priority if we are going to be people of truth and love, faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and his word. Thus, the fact that Notre-Dame de Paris has promoted a false way to heaven for centuries is the greater tragedy.

[Eric Davis is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Jackson Hole, WY. He and his team planted the church in 2008. He has been married for 16 years and has 3 children.]

President Tom and Mrs. Murray of Southwestern Christian University send Easter Greetings!

4/18/2019

10 Quotes from Billy Graham about the Cross

4/18/2019

An official photo of Billy Graham in his office in North Carolina

As we approach Easter, here are some quotes from Billy Graham about the power of the cross.

“The cross is the only way of salvation. And the cross gives a new purpose to life.”

“The cross shows the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.”

“Sin was conquered on the cross. [Christ’s] death is the foundation of our hope, the promise of our triumph!”

“The cross is the suffering love of God bearing the guilt of man’s sin, which alone is able to melt the sinner’s heart and bring him to repentance for salvation.”

“The ground is level at the foot of the cross.”

“When Jesus hung on the cross, a great unseen cosmic battle raged in the heavens—and in the end, Christ triumphed over all the forces of evil and death and hell.”

“Though the cross repels, it also attracts. It possesses a magnetic quality.”

“To take up your cross means to associate yourself with Christ and to share His rejection. It means you take a stand for Christ even though people make fun of you, persecute you—or even kill you! ”

“The greatest vision of sin that a person can ever receive is to look at the cross.”

“Once you have been to the cross, you will never be the same.”

Get your copy of Billy Graham in Quotes here.

What Can the Church Do to Bring the Lost to Christ This Easter?

4/18/2019

Written by Mikel French

Where would you be without Jesus?

My dear friend Pastor Edward has asked me this question often, and each time I'm more thankful for the reminder to consider it. I don't know your answer, but mine is the same every time: Without Jesus I would be in jail, in hell, or in jail on my way to hell!

We should not by any means constantly be looking back on all of our past failures and mistakes, but it is vital to our relationship with Christ to remember what He has done for us. We should remember the situations He removed us from, the diseases His wounds healed us of, and the privilege that it is of being in relationship with God as our Father—all of which are possible because of Christ's victory over death and the grave.

So I ask again in earnest, where would you be without Jesus?

I pray your answer points to another, corollary question: What can we as the church of Christ do to help bring the lost to Christ's salvation this Easter?

As much as we should make it a practice to meditate on and give thanks for the many benefits of Christ's cross and resurrection in our personal lives, it is crucial that we not make these blessings all about us. Now that we are beneficiaries of the power of God through Christ, it is our responsibility to partner with Him to ensure that everyone everywhere has access to the transformative gift of salvation and new life in the Savior.

"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).

Everything God does, and everything Christ did at the cross, was for the lost to be saved, the hurting to be healed, and sinners to be forgiven.

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Jesus did not come so that the world would remain in sin.

Jesus did not come so that the world would continue to be suffering with sickness and death.

Jesus did not come to guilt us or shame us and allow us to grieve in our own imperfections.

The entire reason we celebrate Easter, and the entire reason Jesus came to die on the cross was so that we could live with Him forever free from sin, free from sickness, free from death, and free from guilt or shame.

This week I pray that you would be so filled with joy and gratitude over the transformation that has taken place in your life and story because of Christ's cross and resurrection that you would be inspired afresh to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15).

After all, where would the lost be without you, the hands and feet of Jesus? As Dutch Sheets put it in his book Watchman Prayer, "We are His body—His hands, feet, voice—and what He does, He will do through us. We are Plan A and there is no Plan B."

[Mikel French has challenged spiritual awakening all across America, where many celebrations extended into multiple weeks, and has conducted celebrations in France, Sweden, Russia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Germany, South Africa, Malawi, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Haiti, Japan, Singapore, India and Thailand. He conducted an outreach celebration in Manila, Philippines, reaching 200,000 teenagers with the Book of Hope. Through the generous support of partners, he has presented the message of Jesus Christ to millions of people in the nation of Russia through televised citywide soul-winning celebrations. Mikel considers it an honor to assist in conducting the annual pastor's conference, where thousands of pastors from Russia's 11 time zones come for training, teaching and equipping. Mikel and his wife, Marsha, reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Stinky Feet -- by Laura MacCorkle

4/18/2019

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35, NIV).

Do you celebrate Maundy Thursday?

The word maundy means "a new commandment" and is derived from the Latin word Mandatum in translating Jesus' commandment in John 13:34-35.

Before He said that, Jesus had demonstrated His love that same evening during the Last Supper, as He humbled Himself and washed His disciples' feet (John 13:4-5). This act perfectly illustrated His new command.

So he got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

After reading this, I can only imagine what washing someone else's stinky feet must be like.

Think about where your feet have been, especially if you live in a back-to-nature, shoe-optional locale. This starts getting very up close and personal. And, depending on the individual and their hygiene habits or lack thereof, perhaps not too pleasant. Washing another's feet is not a glamorous act of service at all. But neither is anything related to the role of a servant, since it represents a position of humility and a mindset of putting others first.

In this day and age, I know there are certain churches that do have foot-washing services on Maundy Thursday to commemorate Christ's actions and His command. I have not participated in one like this, but I am sure it is a great object lesson to help all ages understand how to love one another.

Taking this a step further, The Bible Knowledge Commentary has this to say about foot-washing:

"Foot-washing was needed in Palestine. The streets were dusty and people wore sandals without socks or stockings. It was a mark of honor for a host to provide a servant to wash a guest's feet; it was a breach of hospitality not to provide for it. ...[Jesus] had done a humble service for [the disciples]. Meeting others' needs self-sacrificially is what they ought to do too. This passage emphasizes inner humility, not a physical rite. Not to follow the example of Jesus is to exalt oneself above Him and to live in pride. No servant is greater than his master (cf John 12;26)."

So when we humble ourselves and serve the Lord as He served us, it is He who lifts us up. When we love Christ, He changes our hearts and motivates us to love others. And if showing this love means washing some stinky feet, then so be it.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Who is God impressing upon your heart today? Is He calling you to show love to this person? Determine your course of action that will show a humble heart: make a phone call, send a note, lend a hand, speak a kind word or wash some feet! And then follow through as you love one another!

Further Reading

Luke 10:27, The Message
How's Your Love Life?

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!

Praise God During Trials - by Tony Evans

4/18/2019

The Rev. Dr. Tony Evans

Praise God During Trials

In His Presence: "The brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation . . . Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:9-12).

Since God uses trials for our benefit and He is always in control, we can praise Him for who He is no matter what we are going through. Scripture says we should give thanks in everything. In every situation, we can count it as joy that God has decided to use a trial in our life to make us more like His Son.

One Minute Please

You may be in the fire of a trial, but God is using it to refine and purify you to be more like His Son.

Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com
and
Listen to Dr. Tony Evans Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com.

Prime the Pump -- by Tony Evans

4/18/2019

The Rev. Dr. Tony Evans

One day, a man was lost in a desert without water, but he saw an old makeshift structure. He knew he couldn’t make it much longer, so he got to the covering as fast as his worn-out legs could carry him. To his surprise, inside he found a jar of pure looking water. This jar was on the floor next to a pump.

Filled with relief, he walked over to the jar to quench his overbearing thirst. As he reached down to pick up the jar of water, though, he noticed a sign. The sign read, “Use this water to prime the pump. When you have gotten as much water as you need, refill the jar, and leave it for the next person who will pass this way.”

This man suddenly found himself on the horns of a dilemma because he was so thirsty that he was close to dehydration. What if he followed the directions on the sign and there was no water in the well? What if he poured out all of the water he now held in his hand and got nothing in return? Was that worth the risk to even try? The man had to make a decision to either fill himself now, or pour out what he had and take the chance that deep down there was so much more. The man made the choice to prime the pump. It was a good choice because the water flowed freely. He drank to his delight and collected enough water to take him on his journey. Before he left, he filled the jar and placed it next to the note. Under the words of the note, he wrote, “Trust me. It works!”

Giving to others in our horizontal relationship with them is a method of priming the pump of God’s vertical blessings in our lives. You have a choice. You can take the little that God has given you now and consume it for yourself. Or you can use it to prime something that’s got so much more. The choice hinges on whether you believe God’s Word that if you give, it will be given to you. Oh, and trust me, it works (Luke 6:38).

Be encouraged,

Tony Evans

Men living near Athens, Georgia are invited to the Men's Monthly breakfast meeting at Christian Life Worship Center this Saturday, April 20, at 8:30 a.m.

4/18/2019

Ken Phillips, Director Men's Ministries at CLWC

Ken Phillips, Director of Men's Ministries at Christian Life Worship Center in Athens, GA welcomes all men living in northeast Georgia and within driving distance of Athens, Georgia (the Classic City) to our Men's Ministries Breakfast this Saturday morning, April 20, in our Fellowship Hall, known as Stephanie's Place. You may enter the room from the parking lot adjacent to a lovely rose garden in full bloom on the lower level of our church education wing.

Join the men at Christian Life Worship Center this Saturday, April 20th, for their monthly breakfast meeting at 8:30. Dylan Sosbee will give information about some homeless ministries in Athens. Dylan is soon to graduate from the University of Georgia and has worked with the homeless of Athens for the past several years.

You will enjoy a hearty breakfast prepared and served by our Master Chef, Randy Jackson. He always prepares a delightful breakfast that will satisfy the hungry appetite of any man. More important than the food, is the fellowship and communications of men who love the Lord Jesus Christ and who have placed their trust in Him for salvation and eternal life.

For those attending our church from out of town, Christian Life Worship Center, formerly Tarkenton Memorial Church, is located one mile north of the Athens Perimeter or Loop 10, just off US Highway 129. The address of the church is 125 Kathwood Drive, Athens, GA 30607.

All men are invited. Come and bring a friend.

Melvine had an appointment with our family Physician on Thursday

4/18/2019

Melvine Stewart Morgan

This is Holy Week. Today, Thursday, is known as Maundy Thursday, meaning a day of a new commandment.

What is the meaning “Maundy”? It comes from the Latin word Mandatum (itself from the verb Mandare), which is translated “commandment.” We are reminded on Thursday of Holy Week of the Last Supper Jesus had with His disciples before His sufferings and death on the Cross. It was in that setting that our Lord gave a new commandment that we love one another, as He had loved His disciples. By the demonstration of our love for one another the world will see that we are disciples of Jesus Christ.

Well, this has been a horrific week for Melvine. She was released from the Oaks Rehab Center on Tuesday, and Wednesday she has an appointment with her oncologist, and today, Thursday, she was seen by Dr. Alice Edwards, our family physician.

Dr. Edwards was very gracious and kind to Melvine. According to her scales, Melvine has lost 12 pounds since her last visit. Melvine was subdued and talked very sparingly. She mainly answered the questions that Dr. Edwards asked her. Dr. Edwards reviewed her medications and made one change. Dr. Edwards checked out her heart and other things that doctors do. She tested the strength in Melvine's legs and feet. Melvine responded well to that exam.

I think Melvine is having to face in a realistic way her own death. Melvine's oncologist says that chemo did what it was supposed to do and she cannot give Melvine any more chemo. The next thing is to have a consultation with an oncology, gynecology surgeon at Emory University for his opinion. The reality, as I understand it, is that the cancer is still there. but greatly diminished. The future is uncertain, and I want to make Melvine's days or years ahead for her to be pleasant and meaningful with laughter and fun. Melvine is facing endless exams, like CAT Scans, x-rays, etc. There seems to be no end to the testing.

After the doctor's appointment on Thursday, I took Melvine to the Waffle House near Home Depot in Athens. Our waitress is a student at Emmanuel College. She is a transfer student, and of all things, she said she is a wrestler. I gave her the Billy Graham blessing and a 20% tip. I am glad I could speak a good word for Emmanuel College, one of our church colleges in Franklin Springs, GA.

I took Melvine's vital signs, recorded them, gave her the medications that have been prescribed for her. She was tired and sleepy and has gone to bed. In fact, it was around 7:30 p.m. when she went to bed.

I want to request your continued prayers for Melvine and the future she may have. God is in control, and I want her healed. I believe in divine healing and know that nothing is impossible with God. He is in control and has the final Word. We want God's will to be done in our lives.

You may write us at:

Hugh & Melvine Morgan
17 Sweet Apple Lane
Winder, GA 30680

You may write me at: hugh@hughsnews.com

Will You Receive the Benediction?

4/18/2019

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
KJV

++++++++++

John 13:34-35
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
NASU

++++++++++

John 13:34-35

34 "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. 35 This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples — when they see the love you have for each other."
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Lighten Up With Laughter

4/17/2019

An elderly woman died last month.

Having never married, she requested no
male pall bearers. In her handwritten instructions for
her memorial service, she
wrote,

'They wouldn't take me out
while I was alive,I
don't want them to take me out when I'm
dead.'

The Psalm Jesus Quoted as He hung on the Cross And died for us

4/17/2019

Psalm 22 This Psalm of David is what Jesus quoted when He was suffering and dying the Cross. It is good to read it again.

22 My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me? Far from My deliverance are the words of My groaning. 2 O My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You Who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. 7 All who see Me sneer at Me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, 8 "Commit Yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver Him; Let Him rescue Him, because He delights in Him."

9 Yet You are He Who brought Me forth from the womb; You made Me trust when upon My mother's breasts. 10 Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from My mother's womb.

11 Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They open wide their mouth at Me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue cleaves to My jaws; And You lay Me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; A band of evildoers has encompassed Me; They pierced My hands and My feet. 17 I can count all My bones.They look, they stare at Me; 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O Lord, be not far off; O You My help, hasten to My assistance. 20 Deliver My soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. 21 Save Me from the lion's mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer Me.

22 I will tell of Your Name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him for help, He heard.

25 From You comes My praise in the great assembly; I shall pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let Your heart live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. 28 For the Kingdom is the Lord's And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. 30 Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. 31 They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.
NASU

Today’s Prayer

Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son to die for me. I’m so glad that when He rose from the grave, He defeated death and the grave forever. Please help me share the Good News this Easter. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Why Did Jesus Die? -- by Anne Graham Lotz

4/17/2019

Anne Graham Preaches the blessing of the Gospel message- Matthew. km

While attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, I heard a Muslim imam say that he did not believe in vicarious atonement for sin. In other words, he did not believe the death of Jesus was necessary.

Have you ever heard someone say that there are other ways to God besides Jesus? That all religions are equal? That as long as we are sincere in what we believe, a loving God will accept us? That the cross was not necessary? That if our good works outweigh our bad works, we can hope to go to Heaven?

But if there are other ways to God besides Jesus, if all religions are equal, if God accepts all those who are sincere in their beliefs, if our good works earn us a ticket to Heaven, then why did Jesus die?

If there was any other way to offer us forgiveness of sin, to reconcile us to God, to give us eternal life, and to open Heaven for us when we die, God would have found it. He never would have sent Jesus to die on the cross. There simply is no other way.

Read John 18-19
I. JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE ANYONE

A. EVEN THOSE WHO BETRAY HIM

Describe Judas from the following verses: Luke 6:16; John 6:71; 12:1-8; 13:26-30; Luke 22:3-4, 47-48.
Using your imagination, describe Judas’ experience as a disciple of Jesus on the following occasions: John 6:1-14, 16-21; 9:1-7; 11:38-44.
Why do you think Judas betrayed Jesus?
To whom did Judas confess his sin? See Matthew 27:3-5. Why was this confession insufficient? See John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5.
If Judas had gone to Jesus and confessed his sin, do you think Jesus would have forgiven him? What word in John 3:16 answers this question? 2 Peter 3:9?
What are some ways that you and I betray Jesus when we claim Him as our Savior and Lord, yet give our heart and time to something else?
Have you betrayed Jesus? Would you confess it now and ask Him to forgive you?

B. EVEN THOSE WHO DOUBT HIM

What did Annas, the former high priest, question Jesus about? Read John 18:19.
Apply Annas’ questions to doubts people have today.
What did Caiaphas question in Matthew 26:63?
Apply Caiaphas’ question and his dramatic denial of Jesus’ answer in Matthew 26:64-66 to people’s doubts today.
What doubts do you have about God’s Word?
Why is it important to resolve your doubts, according to Matthew 14:31? Matthew 21:21? Mark 11:23? James 1:6?
What doubts about Jesus do you have? Confess your doubts to Him, ask His forgiveness, then place your faith in Him and in His Word.

C. EVEN THOSE WHO DENY HIM

Describe Peter’s confidence in Matthew 26:31-35.
Describe his denial of Jesus in Matthew 26:69-75.
Use the following verses to describe why you think Peter repeatedly denied Jesus when he had been clearly warned and had sworn that he would not: Proverbs 11:2; 16:18. Compare Mark 14:32-38 with Proverbs 6:9-11.
What are some things you and I can do to guard against this sin? Read Psalm 56:3-4; 1 Peter 4:16; 1 Corinthians 16:13.
What wisdom learned from his own experience does Peter share in 1 Peter 5:8-9?
How do you and I deny Jesus today?
Describe a time when you have denied Him. Would you confess it to Him now and ask His forgiveness?

D. EVEN THOSE WHO REJECT HIM

Relate John 1:11 to Matthew 26:57-67.
Relate John 1:10 to John 19:1-16.
Who do you know that has rejected Jesus?
What encouragement do you find in the following passages: Acts 2:22-24? Acts 2:36 with 37-41? Acts 3:13-15 with 4:4?
If you have rejected Jesus, what do you need to do? Read Acts 3:19-20; John 1:12. What is keeping you from just doing it? Now?
If your sin is none of those listed above, what is it? Would you confess it, using the same name for it that God does, and ask Him to cleanse you with the blood of Jesus? 1 John 1:8-10.

II. JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE ANYTHING

A. HIS DEATH IS OUR SACRIFICE

From the following verses, describe what God’s law required in order for a sinner to obtain forgiveness: Leviticus 5:5-6, 17-19; 17:11.
Did the sacrifices under the Old Covenant really take away sin? Read Hebrews 10:3-4. If not, why were the sacrifices required?
How was the sacrificial law an audiovisual aid of who Jesus is and what He would do? Give phrases from: Isaiah 53:1-12; John 1:29; Romans 3:22-25; Hebrews 13:11-12; 1 John 4:10.
Is there any other sacrifice for sin we can offer that God will accept?
When have you claimed Jesus as God’s sacrifice for your sin?

B. HIS DEATH IS OUR SUBSTITUTE

Describe God’s instructions to Moses in Exodus 12:1-7 and 12-13, noting key phrases.
What two things were necessary to secure salvation from God’s judgment? Base your answer on phrases from Exodus.
As though speaking to someone outside the church, or to a child, explain how the Passover is a picture of Jesus. Read Matthew 26:2;
1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
How relevant to your future is this word picture? Read Revelation 5:1-13; 7:9-17; 12:10-11; 21:1-2, 22-23; 22:3.
When judgment comes, either at your death or when Jesus returns, will it pass over you? Why?

C. HIS DEATH IS SUFFICIENT

What further sacrifice does God require for our sin? See Hebrews 10:5-14, 17-18.
How is this confirmed by Jesus’ own words spoken from the cross? See John 19:30.
When you claim the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, what sin is forgiven? Give phrases from: 1 John 1:7, 9; 2:2, 12; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13-15. Apply each phrase to your own life.
Besides obtaining God’s forgiveness, what other blessings does the blood of Jesus secure for the believer? Read Revelation 1:5-6; Hebrews 10:19-22; Romans 5:9; Colossians 1:19-20.

This Easter, would you thank God for sending His only, beloved Son to die on the cross as His sacrifice for your sin? Thank Him by confessing your sin and living humbly in His forgiveness. Then go and tell someone else why Jesus died. ©2019 Anne Graham Lotz

Adapted from an article originally published in April 2006.

Anne Graham Lotz has proclaimed God’s Word worldwide for more than 40 years. Her latest book, The Daniel Key, is available from major booksellers.

Have You taken the Opportunity to be blessed this month by giving to Hugh's News?

4/17/2019

The Rev. Dr. Hugh H. Morgan, Founder, CEO, Editor of Hugh's News, Inc.

Probably the most quoted saying of Jesus Christ is this: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

The word blessed means: more profitable and more fruitful. The miracle of giving happens the moment we release the gift and God blessed what His Son, Jesus Christ, has said. God honors His Word above His Name.

You can experience the joy of blessedness by giving today to help Hugh Morgan to continue producing Hugh's News.

To assist you in knowing how to give via a Credit Card or by sending a check via our postal service, please Click Here.

Thank you for your generosity in giving. May the Good Lord bless you abundantly.

How did Jesus endure the crucifixion? by J. Lee Grady

4/17/2019

("Son of God" Screenshot)

J. Lee Grady

When the movie The Passion of the Christ was released 15 years ago, snobbish Hollywood critics mocked it because it offered a realistic depiction of Jesus' torture and death. I know people who couldn't watch the R-rated violence in Mel Gibson's movie because it was such an accurate portrayal of a brutal, first-century Roman execution.

Yet the blood in that movie was fake. The intense pain Jesus felt on the cross was real.

Nobody performed an autopsy on Jesus' mangled body after He was taken down from the cross. But doctors who have studied the Bible's description of His death say the pain would have been beyond excruciating. In fact, the word "excruciating" means "out of the cross."

His suffering began in Gethsemane, where God laid the sins of the world on His beloved Son. The intense stress caused hematidrosis, a condition in which blood seeps out of sweat glands. Luke the physician, whose description of the crucifixion is the most detailed, wrote that Jesus' sweat "became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44b).

After His arrest, Jesus was flogged so mercilessly that His skin was stripped off His back, exposing muscle and bone. After being slapped, punched, crowned with thorns and beaten with reeds, He was covered with a red robe and led to Golgotha. There, Roman soldiers drove nails (more like seven-inch spikes) into his wrists—most likely hitting the median nerve, causing more blinding pain. Then they nailed another long metal spike into his feet.

At that point, doctors suggest, Jesus would have suffered dislocation of His shoulders, cramps and spasms, dehydration from severe blood loss, fluid in His lungs and eventual lung collapse and heart failure. Yet, according to Matthew 27:34, Jesus refused to take a pain-killing solution. He chose to endure the pain for us.

How did Jesus handle this agony? Many scholars say He recited Psalm 22 throughout His ordeal. These words, which are quoted more often in the New Testament than any other Old Testament passage, describe in detail the death of the Messiah.

Whenever I imagine what happened at Calvary, I think about these words Jesus muttered from the cross. He had memorized them since he was a boy in the synagogue in Nazareth:

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps. 22:1). When Jesus prayed this from the cross, any Jew who heard it would have known He was quoting David's psalm.

"But I am a worm and not a man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people" (Ps. 22:6). Jesus recited these words as a crowd of angry mockers insulted Him.

Related Articles

New Scientific Evidence Supports the Legitimacy of Jesus' Crucifixion
The Crucifixion of Jesus Was R-Rated

"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted inside my body" (Ps. 22:14). Some victims of Roman crucifixion took as long as nine days to die, but Jesus' death came in a matter of hours—probably because He had been flogged so cruelly before He was nailed to the rough wood.

"My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws" (Ps. 22:15a). Victims of crucifixion typically developed serious dehydration because of a lack of blood and oxygen.

"They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:16b-18, NASB). Jesus' tormentors stripped Him of His clothes, and He bore our shame. John 19:23-24 tells us that soldiers gambled for his tunic.

But David's psalm does more than just predict the pain Jesus experienced. It ends in victory. Imagine Jesus reciting these words to Himself as He bled to death:

"I will tell of Your Name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You" (Ps. 22:22). The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross "because of the joy set before Him" (Heb. 12:2b). Even as He hung in pitiful agony, He was thinking of union with His bride, the church.

"All the ends of the world will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the Kingdom belongs to the Lord, and He rules among the nations" (Ps. 22:28-29, MEV). Jesus died so all nations might know His forgiveness and salvation! As He poured out His blood on that cross, He was rejoicing that the message of His love would reach the ends of the earth.

"They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has performed it" (Ps. 22:31, NASB). This closing verse in Psalm 22 speaks of the great and final victory of the Messiah. Interestingly, the original Hebrew in the last phrase ("He has performed it") can be translated, "It is finished." This is exactly what Jesus declared in John 19:30 as He breathed His last! Most likely He recited all of Psalm 22 during the tedious process of death.

I encourage you to meditate on Psalm 22 as you prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. David's prophetic psalm helped prepare Jesus for His agonizing death. Jesus knew the pain He would suffer. Yet because of His great love for us, He did not run away from the horrible task of atonement. He was willing to die so we could live.

[J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org.

J. Lee Grady is an ordained minister of the Gospel in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. He is currently the executive editor of Encourage, a monthly online digital magazine you can read and download from our IPHC website: www.iphc.org/Encourage.

J. Lee Grady is a friend of mine and has graciously granted me permission to publish his articles.]

What Holy Spirit Told Me About Notre Dame Burning -- by Amanda Shiflett

4/17/2019

A view of debris inside Notre Dame Cathedral. (Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool via REUTERS)

What Holy Spirit Told Me About Notre Dame Burning
Amanda Shiflett

Several have asked me what my thoughts are regarding Notre Dame burning, and if it is prophetic in nature. I have answered many privately, but also decided it was best to share what I was sensing here, since many were asking. Please know, this is not to make light of Notre Dame burning, nor is it to speak disparagingly of the Catholic church. I do understand the significance of this amazing and historic structure, along with some of its contents, and what it means to the people of Paris. This is a horrible thing to happen, regardless of the reason. I am praying for the people of France and the church as a whole there.

As I saw the news yesterday, I sensed there was definitely something prophetic to this, whether a natural occurrence or a man-made fire, I believe it is still pointing to something. I sensed the Lord immediately said "Look up what the name means." So I did.

Notre Dame literally means "Our Lady," or more specifically "Our Mother," which is referencing the Virgin Mary, known to many Catholics as the "Mother of God," who is held in very high esteem in Catholicism, some would say even somewhat worshiped. I immediately sensed what the Lord was saying.

Don't get me wrong; I love Catholics as people, and I know many believe in the Lord Jesus and don't follow this way of idolizing Mary. But many do, and the church itself embraces and promotes this with much of their teachings of the "Holy Mother."

Many of the teachings of the Catholic church are in error and have much pagan and idolatry intertwined in them. Please understand, I hold Mary in high esteem, as she was an amazing woman who was the earthly mother of our Lord, but there is no "heavenly mother." She was a favored and righteous woman, but that is all.

When Mary is exalted to a god-like status, which many Catholics do this time of year, the principality of "the queen of heaven" (Lilith, Ashtoreth, Baal's consort and so on) is actually the one who is being lifted up and worshiped, although most in Catholicism do not realize that. The fact that this is happening on this Holy Week is significant, I believe.

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Prophetic Warning: Notre Dame Tragedy May Not Be Last Fire in France

"Mary" or the "queen of heaven," is not what this week is about; it is about Jesus. It is about exalting the Son, Whom the Father gave to the world and provided Himself a Lamb. There is no "mother" of heaven, and to say there is takes worship away from our King Jesus, and our heavenly Father God, who alone is to be worshiped.

I feel the Lord is done with idol worship, specifically in His house, and this may symbolize that in some way. Many are discussing the fact that the large cross at the altar is still standing. I believe the Lord is leading us back to His cross and the knowledge that He alone is our salvation. He alone is worthy to be worshiped and adored! We should understand this during this season of Passover and Resurrection more than any other time.

It isn't about a bunny, or Mary or anyone else. It is about Him, crucified and resurrected, and seated at the right hand of the Father, our Lord forever!

Lord, raise up reformers in France, and rebuild Your true church there! Raise up those who will unashamedly preach Your full Gospel, and let many come to truly know You, as Savior and Lord. May everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of Who You are, be brought down. May the fire of Your Spirit burn in France once again! Lord, bring beauty for these ashes!

Let the people of France come to Your cross, and receive true salvation by the blood of Your Son, Yeshua!

[Amanda Shiflett is the founder of Prophetic Reformer and co-founder of Kingdom Life Ministries, along with her husband Darin. She is a prophetic minister who heard the Lord's call from a very young age. She is a heralding voice of truth, holiness and purity within the prophetic and calls others to stand in a place of no compromise in their callings. She longs to see reformation come to the prophetic movement, as well as the other parts of the fivefold within the body of Christ. Along with her calling as a prophetess, Amanda also flows in a powerful worship and healing anointing and is a gifted teacher and writer as well. Darin and Amanda live in North Texas.]