The Sure Word for Today's quotation for the week:
God Has Forgiven Me.
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Jesus and Conflict — Part 5.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Philippians 2: 3-4 (KJV).
The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus prayed on the night he was betrayed and arrested. He was arrested and condemned for a crime he did not commit. Jesus is about to face the ultimate punishment of all the sin of humanity. He understood the pending situation, which made him experience relentless pressure. Things are about to get very messy.
Something happened in the Garden of Gethsemane that reveal the level of personal conflict Jesus was encountering. He sweats blood while praying before his crucifixion. That condition is a rare condition called hematidrosis. It is an actual medical situation that causes sweat to contain blood. The sweat glands are surrounded by tiny blood vessels that can shrink and then dilate to the point of rupture, causing blood to effuse into the sweat glands.
The cause of hematidrosis is extreme anguish. Various causative factors, like it is a component of systemic disease, vicarious menstruation, excessive exertion, psychogenic purpura and unknown causes, have been suggested. Acute fear and intense mental contemplation are the most frequent causes reported in six cases in men condemned to execution.
Matthew 26: 38 "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."
Jesus was in great distress; he was in agony. The disciples he asked to wait with him in the garden fell asleep; even his closest friends left him to suffer alone. He sweated out blood. He was rejected and alone. He even asked God if he could escape his destiny. The Passion of Christ is the story of Jesus' arrest, ordeal and suffering. The Passion ends with the execution of Jesus Christ by crucifixion. The word Passion comes from the Latin word for suffering. Passion is the story of injustice, doubt, fear, sorrow and, ultimately, death.
No matter what you are going through, you are not alone. God who brought you through before will bring you through again. Have faith. Make a decision today that no matter the nature of your challenges, you will choose faith over fear.
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All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the HOLY BIBLE unless otherwise indicated.
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