PRAY   CENTRAL   FLORIDA

 

Dear Fellow Prayer Warrior,                                                                                        May, 2006

Greetings in the name of the Lord. The movie “The Da Vinci Code” is due out this month. Implicit in the plot of this fictional story is the idea that fatal fallacies exist in key Christian doctrines including: the deity of Christ and the reliability of scripture. Pray that Christians would be bold enough to share the truth with many who would otherwise be deceived. Get equipped to do so at the Mission America web site - www.missionamerica.org.

 

Set Apart for God Retreat with John Mulinde - May 15 – 18

The Set Apart for God Retreat is in Orlando, May 15 - 18. John Mulinde, the main speaker/teacher, will not be sharing theories or principles of transformation, but the reality of what God can do if we will surrender ourselves to him. John has been a primary leader in the work of God in Uganda. He has seen firsthand how the power of God can transform a whole nation, in all areas and levels of society. As we hear stories of God's transforming power changing nations around the world we cannot help but wonder why it has not happened here. We have so many wonderful ministries operating throughout America, but still our society seems to be sliding further and further from God. Many are now seeing that no program, no effort on our own can do God's work. To see real transforming power the church is realizing that we need to return to an absolute dependency upon God. Departure from self-reliance upon our ways, our programs and our solutions can only happen as our hearts begin to cry out in desperation. The retreat will begin on the evening of Monday, May 15, 2006. The first gathering will be at 7pm in the Grand Ballroom at the Hawthorn Suites. Inspiring messages, worship, prayer, and seeking the Lord for a heart of desperation will fill our days. The retreat will conclude after our morning gathering on Thursday, May 18, 2006. Location: Hawthorn Suites at the Orlando airport. Cost: $70. For registration and information call 407-846-8300, email hccc_wtm@earthlink.net or go to www.wtmamerica.com. Note: the above information is from their web site.

 

Internet Evangelism

The Internet Evangelism Day website, www.InternetEvangelismDay.com, contains many resources to help Christians understand and use the Internet to touch the world. It explains how to build a church website that can reach out into the community, or start an evangelistic blog. There is even a free evangelistic screensaver to download. The site also offers materials for a mission team or church to easily stage a 'web awareness' focus program. These include a PowerPoint presentation, video clips, music, drama skits, posters, discussion papers, handouts and many other ideas. (Thanks Brigada!)

 

Centra Care looking for Christian volunteers 

Centra Care is looking for Christian volunteers for their 16 locations in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake Counties. “We are currently looking especially for mature, spiritual volunteers gifted with helps and/or mercy to greet and spiritually nurture those coming into our centers in our Extender of Grace: An Army of Healers program.  If you are ready to volunteer and are compassionately concerned about mercy, prayer, counseling and helping transform your community, contact Scott at 407-200-2880 (office) or 407-947-1135 (cell) today!”

 

See page 2 for Current Prayer Events

 

An E-mail version of this newsletter (with more stuff!) is also available - send me an E-mail to sign up.

See this newsletter on the web at www.christiansnet.com/praycf/praycf.htm.

George Kern, 405 East Jersey St, Orlando, FL 32806, 407-245-1132, praycf@juno.com

Pray Central Florida – Praying for Central Florida and encouraging the Church in Central Florida to pray

PRAY   CENTRAL   FLORIDA

                                                                        Page 2                                                 May, 2006

 

Current Prayer Events:

For additional Christian events see the Z88.3 events web site - http://zradio.org and the WTLN web site - www.wtln.com.

 

May 5 – 7 – The Orlando Furnace Big Weekend – Solid worship and prayer from Friday night at 5:30 p.m. until Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. See the e-mail or web version of this newsletter for the schedule or e-mail Sharon at sharon@js-now.com for details. This is a wonderful time – get a taste of IHOP without having to fly to Kansas City. The Location is “The Porch”, 720 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, just North of 50 and Orange.

May 15 – 18 – Set Apart for God Retreat with John Mulinde. Location: Hawthorn Suites at the Orlando airport. For registration and information call 407-846-8300, email hccc_wtm@earthlink.net or go to www.wtmamerica.com.

June 4 – Global Day of Prayer. Be part of an amazing movement of prayer around the globe. A North American prayer broadcast with Bob Bakke, TD Jakes, Luis Palau and others will be from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. EST. For prayer calendars and resources go to www.gdopusa.com and www.globaldayofprayer.com

June 27 – 29 – Kingdom Builder’s Conference. Theme: Body of Christ 2006. Seminars include soul winning, marriage, leadership and prayer and fasting. Hosted by Bishop Helligar and Koinonia Ministries – 407-299-6677.

 

Weekdays – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – all day worship and prayer hosted by Love of Christ Ministries (Mack McCambridge). Location: Faith World church (7601 Forest City road, Orlando), first building on the right as you pass the entrance gate. Call 407-292-0966 for info.

Tuesday evenings - 6:00 p.m. – Community Healing & Prayer Service. All Saints Church, 338 East Lyman Av. Winter Park. Call 407-647-3413 for info. www.allsaintswp.com.

Tuesday evenings - 7:00 p.m. - Servants of the Most High Interdenominational prayer group meets in the Altamonte Springs/Longwood area. For more info, call Maureen at 407-332-7286.

Thursday Evenings – 7:30 p.m. Oviedo Healing Rooms - Healing in the Name of JESUS through the Power of GOD's Presence and Prayer. 145 W. Broadway Blvd., Oviedo. Call 407-529-7111 for appointment (suggested but not necessary) www.OviedoHealingRoom.com.

Friday evenings – 7:30 p.m. – International Concert of Prayer – prayer for Orlando, USA & the world. At Greaterlife Church in Oviedo, call Pastor Jeff Good for information at 407-365-5950.

Third Friday of month – 11a.m. - Pray for the Troops – Praying for our troops in harms way. Location: The Porch, 720 North Orange Avenue, one block North of Colonial Drive (50). Info: www.lzrussell.org/PrayForTheTroops, or call Greg at 407-327-4422.             

First Saturday of month - Prayer for Muslims - 10:00 a.m.-Noon, Orlando. Peter Shadid - 240-6272.

            Peter has a team reaching Muslims in Kissimmee and can train people for outreach in Orlando.

Second Saturday of month – 9:00 a.m. - KNEC (Kingdom Network Empowering Communities) – 6864 Silver Star rd, Pastor Helligar – 407-299-6677.

Second Saturday of month - 9am – Aftercare Network Prayer Breakfast. Hear what God is doing in local jails and aftercare and bathe that in prayer. Networking ex-inmates and Aftercare Providers. Call Chaplain Fleeks at 407-836-0384.

Third Saturday of month – Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Longwood. Email amystrang@aol.com.

Lighthouse Report (with Steve Douglass)  – on the web at www.lighthousereport.com

 

Pray Central Florida – Praying for Central Florida and encouraging the Church in Central Florida to pray

 

 

And here is the extra stuff you don’t get with the snail mail version...

=================================

Editor’s note: to help prevent the automatic harvesting of E-mail addresses from this newsletter some E-mail addresses have been modified. If you see one that has an “ [at] ” simply replace it with “@” when you type it in, similarly with “ [dot] “.

 

(1) The Orlando Furnace Big Weekend – May 5th – 7th

(2) Team Resource

(3) PRAYER 101
(4) "A PHYSICIAN'S VIEW OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST"

(5) FINAL CUT: ISRAEL PLANS TO SEVER ITS BIBLICAL HEARTLAND BY 2008

 

 

*NPPN - NATIONAL PASTORS' PRAYER NETWORK - US

A Ministry Network Of The Mission America Coalition

OUR VISION-

Identify And Encourage Pastors' Prayer Groups In Cities And Communities

Across America So That Pastors Lead Their

People Into Praying For And Sharing Christ With Everyone In Our Nation.

Subscribe to the NPPN:   http://www.nppn.org/subscribe.htm

<http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=757173&amp;s=5913893>  

 

 

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(1) The Orlando Furnace Big Weekend – May 5th – 7th

 

This is a wonderful time – get a taste of IHOP without having to fly to Kansas City.

The Location is “The Porch”, 720 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, just North of 50 and Orange.

 

From: "Sharon Gonzales, Virginia Sullivent, Brad Braland, David

                Chanaud" <sharon [at]  js-now [dot] com>

To: praycf@juno.com

Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 23:39:49 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: Orlando Furnace news

 

The Furnace

720 N. Orange Avenue

 

This is our sincere prayer for you: That your eyes would behold the beauty of the Father's heart. May you receive more of His unsurpassing love, and then pour it out upon His Beloved Son Jesus.

With longing hearts for more of Him,

Sharon Gonzales
Virginia Sullivent
Brad Braland
David Chanaud

 

Friday, May 5

 

Saturday, May 6

 

Sunday, May 7

 

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(2) Team Resource

 

Note from George: I want you all to be aware of Team Resource. It is a fellowship of front-line ministries to the hurting and needy in our city. There is a monthly meeting the second Tuesday of the month at Calvary Assembly, e-mails from the various ministries with needs and with items available, and a real sense of being more connected to what God is doing in our area. Send Steve an E-mail to sign up.

 

From: "Steve  Bruton" <Steve.Bruton@northlandchurch.net>

Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:55:03 -0400

Subject: Tuesday Night's Team Resource Meeting

 

Good Morning Team!

Thank you for another wonderful evening of fellowshipping, breaking bread, sharing stories of how God is working in and through you and your ministries, and the prayer time. Lots of incredible opportunities happening out there. I thought that we should highlight a couple of points made by presenters that we can be praying for:

·       Marc/Jobs Partnership...for the May—July classes to fill up with people to get trained up for work.
·       Hedy/Retired & Seniors Volunteers…for folks to dedicate 1 hour per week throughout the year to mentor inner city youth.

·       Daniel/Tampa Bay CareFest…for Central Florida churches and ministries to team up with Tampa Bay to abundantly serve our communities with compassion projects on Saturday, September 30. 

·       Dick/Christian Help…for the Mayor’s Job Fair to help provide numerous folks with new jobs and steady incomes.
·       Deborah/Regina House…for funding (about $5k) to cover the fire alarm system so that the business of caring for women in need can move forward.  

·       Rose/Brethren Reachin’ Out…for finances (liability insurance) and volunteers to help open the doors of her new ministry facility in May.

·       Bridgett/Total Trans. Restoration…for volunteers to step up to help bring in Easter this Sat. at the worship site at O.B.T. and 20th St. 

·       Jade/Daughter’s of Destiny House…for furniture and the final details to get worked out so the doors can open to provide housing for 25 women in need.

·       Dave/Operation Blessing…for the numerous details of June’s Dental Outreach to get worked out.
·       Rev. Paul/Full Gospel Tab. of Praise…for the Winwood Community to pull together for the upcoming health fair and three days of revival.

·       Roxanne/Haven of Hope…for carpenters to help expand their handicapped facilities and for volunteers to help care for folks with HIV/AIDS.

·       Violet/New Hearts…for financial stability to support her family and ministry. 
·       David/History Center Outreach…for volunteers to join him to love on the homeless every Wed. evening (as well as every day of the year J)

·       Lesley/Agape Protecting Min…for volunteers to step up to serve food at the Coalition for the Homeless.           

A special thank you to Doug & Barb (Grace Fellowship Disaster Team), Christy (Discovery Counseling), Mitzi (Well Women), Scott (Florida Hospital), for sharing about their ongoing service to the Central Florida community.

Also, to the other 40 supporters who showed up to encourage and pray for our extended family, and those who are contributing money and resources behind the scenes (God knows who you are)…you guys are the berries (that’s a good thing J)

Have a blessed resurrection week!

Steve

PS Just received a call from Rose Davis (407-302-4143) who desperately needs a truck to help move furniture to a home of one of our team who “lost” ALL her furniture. This person has also lost her car and is need of numerous personal articles and food for her and children. I think we need to consider this an emergency!

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(3) PRAYER 101

PRAYER 101
Experiencing the heart of God through prayer!
By Warren W. Wiersbe

New and Recommended!
Do you feel like something is missing from your prayer life? Do you wonder if God is even listening to your prayers? Would you like to know how to invigorate your prayer life and be real before God? It’s easy to fall into a rut during times of prayer, but you don’t have to stay there. With pastoral wisdom and the humor and kindness of a good friend, Dr. Warren Wiersbe opens your eyes to more possibilities in your prayer life. Softcover, 128 pages.

Order IFA Item #B641 price $8.95 + shipping.
Call toll-free 1-800-872-7729 or via IFA secure eBookstore www.ifabooks.com.

 

INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA   PO BOX 915   PURCELLVILLE, VA 20134

Tel 540-751-0980    Fax 540-751-0984   E-mail  ifa@ifapray.org    Website   ifapray.org

 

 

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(4) "A PHYSICIAN'S VIEW OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST"


HEALING ROOMS MINISTRIES OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Apr 11, 2006

www.healingroomsministries.com

 

A Physician's View of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

By Dr. C. Truman Davis

 

About a decade ago, reading Jim Bishop’s The Day Christ Died, I realized that I had for years taken the Crucifixion more or less for granted — that I had grown callous to its horror by a too easy familiarity with the grim details and a too distant friendship with our Lord. It finally occurred to me that, though a physician, I didn’t even know the actual immediate cause of death. The Gospel writers don’t help us much on this point, because crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetime that they apparently considered a detailed description unnecessary.

So we have only the concise words of the Evangelists: “Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified — and they crucified Him.” I have no competence to discuss the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God atoning for the sins of fallen man. But it seemed to me that as a physician I might pursue the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord’s passion in some detail.

What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture? 

This led me first to a study of the practice of crucifixion itself; that is, torture and execution by fixation to a cross. I am indebted to many who have studied this subject in the past, and especially to a contemporary colleague, Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who has done exhaustive historical and experimental research and has written extensively on the subject.

Apparently, the first known practice of crucifixion was by the Persians. Alexander and his generals brought it back to the Mediterranean world — to Egypt and to Carthage. The Romans apparently learned the practice from the Carthaginians and (as wi th almost everything the Romans did) rapidly developed a very high degree of efficiency and skill at it. A number of Roman authors (Livy, Cicer, Tacitus) comment on crucifixion, and several innovations, modifications, and variations are described in the ancient literature. For instance, the upright portion of the cross (or stipes) could have the cross-arm (or patibulum) attached two or three feet below its top in what we commonly think of as the Latin cross. The most common form used in our Lord’s day, however, was the Tau cross, shaped like our T.

In this cross, the patibulum was placed in a notch at the top of the stipes. There is archeological evidence that it was on this type of cross that Jesus was crucified. Without any historical or biblical proof, Medieval and Renaissance painters have given us our picture of Christ carrying the entire cross. But the upright post, or s tipes, was generally fixed permanently in the ground at the site of execution and the condemned man was forced to carry the patibulum, weighing about 110 pounds, from the prison to the place of execution. 

Many of the painters and most of the sculptors of crucifixion, also show the nails through the palms. Historical Roman accounts and experimental work have established that the nails were driven between the small bones of the wrists (radial and ulna) and not through the palms. Nails driven through the palms will strip out between the fingers when made to support the weight of the human body. The misconception may have come about through a misunderstanding of Jesus’ words to Thomas, “Observe my hands.” Anatomists, both modern and ancient, have always considered the wrist as part of the hand. 

A titulus, or small sign, stating the victim’s crime was usually placed on a staff, carried at the front of the procession from the prison, and later nailed to the cross so that it extended above the head. This sign with its staff nailed to the top of the cross would have given it somewhat the characteristic form of the Latin cross.

But, of course, the physical passion of the Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of this initial suffering, the one of greatest physiological interest is the bloody sweat. It is interesting that St. Luke, the physician, is the only one to mention this. He says, “And being in agony, He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground.” Every ruse (trick) imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away this description, apparently under the mistaken impression that this just doesn’t happen. A great deal of effort could have been saved had the doubters consulted the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of Hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress of the kind our Lord suffered, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process might well have produced marked weakness and possible shock. 

After the arrest in the middle of the night, Jesus was next brought before the Sanhedrin and Caiphus, the High Priest; it is here that the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiphus. The palace guards then blind-folded Him and mockingly taunted Him to identify them as they each passed by, spat upon Him, and struck Him in the face. 

In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and exhausted from a sleepless night, Jesus is taken across the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. You are, of course, familiar with Pilate’s action in attempting to pass responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate.

It was then, in response to the cries of the mob, that Pilate ordered Bar-Abbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion. There is much disagreement among authorities about the unusual scourging as a prelude to crucifixion. Most Roman writers from this period do not associate the two. Many scholars believe that Pilate originally ordered Jesus scourged as his full punishment and that the death sentence by crucifixion came only in response to the taunt by the mob that the Procurator was not properly defending Caesar against this pretender who allegedly claimed to be the King of the Jews. Preparations for the scourging were carried out when the Prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. It is doubtful the Romans would have made any attempt to follow the Jewish law in this matter, but the Jews had an ancient law prohibiting more than forty lashes. The Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum (or flagellum) in his hand. This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back, and legs.

At first the thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the bl ows continue, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first produce large, deep bruises which are broken open by subsequent blows. Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it is determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is finally stopped. The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with His own blood.

The Roman soldiers see a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be king. They throw a robe across His shoulders and place a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still need a crown to make their travesty complete. Flexi ble branches covered with long thorns (commonly used in bundles for firewood) are plaited into the shape of a crown and this is pressed into His scalp. Again there is copious bleeding, the scalp being one of the most vascular areas of the body.

After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers take the stick from His hand and strike Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tire of their sadistic sport and the robe is torn from His back. Already having adhered to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, its removal causes excruciating pain just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, and almost as though He were again being whipped the wounds once more begin to bleed. In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans return His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross is tied across His shoulders, and the procession of the condemn ed Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion begins its slow journey along the Via Dolorosa.

In spite of His efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious blood loss, is too much. He stumbles and falls. The rough wood of the beam gouges into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tries to rise, but human muscles have been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to get on with the crucifixion, selects a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus follows, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock, until the 650 yard journey from the fortress Antonia to Golgotha is finally completed. Jesus is offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic mixture. He refuses to drink. Simon is ordered to place the patibulum on the ground and Jesus quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms to tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum is then lifted in place at the top of the stipes and the titulus reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” is nailed in place.

The left foot is now pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The Victim is now crucified. As He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the br ain — the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.

As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there is the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet. At this point, as the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by his arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push Himself upward to exhale an d bring in the life-giving oxygen.

It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences recorded:

The first, looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

The second, to the penitent thief, “Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise.”

The third, looking down at the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John — the beloved Apostle — he said, “Behold thy mother.” Then, looking to His mother Mary, “Woman behold thy son.”

The fourth cry is from the beginning of the 22nd Psalm, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” 

Jesus experienced hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain where tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins -- a terrible crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. One remembers again the 22nd Psalm, the 14th verse: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” 

It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reach ed a critical level; the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissue; the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues send their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasps His fifth cry, “I thirst.” One remembers another verse from the prophetic 22nd Psalm: “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death.” A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine which is the staple drink of the Roman legionaries, is lifted to His lips. He apparently doesn’t take any of the liquid.

The body of Jesus is now in extremes, and He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brings out His sixth words, possibly little more than a tortured whisper, “It is finished. ” His mission of atonement has completed. Finally He can allow his body to die.

With one last surge of strength, he once again presses His torn feet against the nail, straightens His legs, takes a deeper breath, and utters His seventh and last cry, “Father! Into thy hands I commit my spirit.” 

The rest you know. In order that the Sabbath not be profaned, the Jews asked that the condemned men be dispatched and removed from the crosses. The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the legs. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; thus the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers came to Jesus they saw that this was unnecessary. 

Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance through the fifth interspace between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. The 34th verse of the 19th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John reports: “And immediately there came out blood and water.” That is, there was an escape of water fluid from the sac surrounding the heart, giving postmortem evidence that Our Lord died not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure (a broken heart) due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium. 

Thus we have had our glimpse — including the medical evidence — of that epitome of evil which man has exhibited toward Man and toward God. It has been a terrible si ght, and more than enough to leave us despondent and depressed. How grateful we can be that we have the great sequel in the infinite mercy of God toward man — at once the miracle of the atonement (at one ment) and the expectation of the triumphant Easter morning.

 

Subscribe: healingroomsminist-subscribe@MyInJesus.com

 

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(5) FINAL CUT: ISRAEL PLANS TO SEVER ITS BIBLICAL HEARTLAND BY 2008

There is little doubt that U.S. leadership will be intimately involved in the
execution of the plan


orange israel

The Israeli election is now behind us, and the clock is ticking. (Excerpted from Jerusalem Watchman, 4/10/06)

Reports at the weekend revealed that in just over two-and-a-half years, if Kadima leader and Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert realizes his goal, 4000 years of history will come to an end.

By November 2008, according to the statements of Kadima officials in coalition talks with the Likud Party, Olmert’s “convergence plan” will have been executed.

Notably, the time frame for its implementation is being tied to the next U.S. presidential elections, with the aim being to completely carry out the plan while President George W. Bush is still in office.

(Map image – A map of Israel may look like this soon if Prime Minister Olmert and those who join him execute their plan. The entire midsection of the country will be gutted and emptied of its Jewish population).

Ehud Olmert and the Kadima Party “Convergence” plan calls for:

· The uprooting from their Judean and Samarian homes of 80,000 Jews.

· The destruction of those homes.

· The voluntary relinquishing, forever, of control over and any claim to 90 percent of the biblical heartland of the Jewish people.

· The setting of Israel’s “final” borders, which will hopefully be recognized as such by the international community.

In short, the Olmert-led administration intends to sever the Jewish nation at its roots and, while so doing, drive even deeper the wedge that is already threatening to tip Israel into violent civil strife deeply in between the two sides.

The land at the center of the convergence plan was promised to the Patriarch Abraham about four millennia ago in what he, and all subsequent generations believed to be an eternal and irrevocable covenant.

After God confirmed the giving of the land to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and to Isaac’s son Jacob – who was renamed Israel – it became the national homeland of the Jews and has been so ever since.

The heart of this land – today called the “West Bank” by all those who reject Israel’s right to it – was the cradle in which the nation of Israel was established and developed.



Some of the towns, cities and regions included in the “West Bank” territory:

· Bethel - numerous events of Bible history occurred there, including God's appearance to Abraham and Jacob, and for some time it was the place where the Ark of The Covenant containing The Ten Commandments was housed. (Judges 20:26-28); one of the seats of Samuel's circuit court of justice. (1 Samuel 7:16)

· Hebron - where Abraham set up his tent by the "great trees of Mamre"; the cave of Machpelah, the “Tomb of the Patriarchs - Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob/Israel and Leah are all buried there. David's first capital when he ruled the Kingdom of Judah.

· East Jerusalem - based on maps from before the 1967 “Six Day War”, the eastern half of Jerusalem including the entire “Old City”; the Temple Mount, Calvary, the “Wailing Wall”, the Golden Gate, Garden of Gethsemane, Mount of Olives, “David’s City”, etc.)

· Bethlehem - The birthplace of Messiah Jesus and King David; the events of the Book of Ruth took place in this region; the tomb of Rachel.

· Bethany - best-known from the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-44); the Triumphal Entry in which Jesus rode the Donkey into Jerusalem began from Bethphage and Bethany (Mark 11:1-10); Jesus spent time there with the twelve (Mark 11:11, Matthew 21:17)

· The inheritance of land given to the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manassah.
· Samaria - third and last capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
· City of Ai - the second city conquered by the Israelites after Jericho.
· Shechem - where Abraham entered the land of Canaan.
· Shiloh - the longtime home of the Ark of the Covenant.

INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA

It was not only the land of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and Israel’s 12 sons, but also of Joshua and Caleb, of the Judges, of Kings Saul, David and Solomon and all the subsequent kings of Judah and of Israel. It was the land of the millions of ordinary Israelites who lived out their lives within its borders until the nation split and went into captivity.

It was for this land that the exiled Jews sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept. From their captivity in Persia and Rome and subsequently wherever they were scattered through the ages on the earth, it was to the “West Bank” that they longed to return.

The “West Bank” is the land of the Bible, which is the primary and enduring historical record of the Jewish people – the nation of Israel.

It is from this land, from their biblical history, and from the focus of their longing that kept the Jews Jewish through centuries of Diaspora history, that Olmert’s “convergence plan” would finally sever the remnant of the nation that survived to return to it.

By November 2008, the Jewish people would have to finally and forever forget about returning to Eretz Yisrael.


line Israel

And as it has been throughout the “land-for-peace” process the United States, under the presidency of George W. Bush, will be there to oversee the final cut.

While the Kadima Party has not spelled out its reasons for wanting to carry out the plan during Bush’s presidency, his administration is known to be committed to overseeing a solution to the Arab- Israeli conflict. Bush believes separation of the two parties is essential to bringing this about, even though the U.S. has not wanted to see unilateral Israeli action.

Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon carried out his “disengagement plan” in close consultation with the Bush White House, which for its part did not shy away from expressing its support for a Kadima Party win in the March 28 election.

With Kadima and Olmert firmly in place, there is little doubt that the U.S. leadership will be intimately involved in the execution of the “convergence plan” and, thereby, the act of severing Israel at its roots.



The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him,
“Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.
All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like
the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.
Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron,
where he built an altar to the LORD.” - Genesis 13: 14 - 18

Ask the LORD to show His great mercy and favor to Israel in this set time. (Psalm 102:13)

PRAY for the current and future leaders in Israel, including the prime minister, the mayor of Jerusalem, and all those in military service. Pray that the LORD would raise up government leaders in Israel, in the United States and worldwide, who will not seek to “divide the land,” and who would recognize the unique significance of Jerusalem in God’s end-time purposes.

Pray that the new government will be one which will not fill important cabinet portfolios (such as Ministry of the Interior) with those who will bring discrimination and persecution against Messianic Jews.

Ask the Lord to give Israel a government that would regard and honor the poor, widows, orphans, and terror victims. (Intercessors for Israel, www.ifij.org)

 

 

INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA   PO BOX 915   PURCELLVILLE, VA 20134

Tel 540-751-0980    Fax 540-751-0984   E-mail  ifa@ifapray.org    Website   ifapray.org

 

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