hopealways

[Arkitekyuklid @arkitekyuklid]

Ecclesiastes 3:11 :)

[Nicki 🫧🪷 @nickimoraa]

learn to comfort yourself through prayer instead of always depending on the people around you. there are moments when words from others fall short, and all you really need is a quiet conversation with God. In prayer, you can be honest about your fears, your exhaustion, and the things you cannot say out loud. It brings a gentle kind of peace one that feels personal, grounding, and steady reminding you that even when you feel alone, you are never truly on your own.

[Josh Barzon @JoshuaBarzon]

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was foretold in the Old Testament scriptures with remarkable detail centuries before it took place.

[Yan Shanklin @callher_yan]

Good Friday feels heavier for me this year. Jesus really died for us. He really took on that pain, that suffering, that sacrifice… for us. The thought alone makes me so emotional. But even still, it is a sign of the good to come. We serve an awesome God.

[Immortal Tessy @TheresaArueyin1]

Satan in Eden: “Take and eat.”

Jesus at Last Supper: “Take and eat.”

In Genesis it was temptation…
At the Last Supper, it became grace.

What was broken in Eden…
was restored through Christ.

Hallelujah!

[Dr. Kat Lindley @DrKatLindley]

This was not written by me, but it touched me deeply…
Sunday is coming.

“He received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted him alive. They held handfuls of his beard, and hair and pulled it out by the roots. They wanted him alive. They kicked, punched, and spit on him for hours. Until there wasn't a single spot on his body not covered in blood. They wanted him alive.

They shoved a crown of thorns down on his head so harshly it stuck in his skin. They wanted him alive. After hours of being beaten, mocked, whipped, flogged, and tortured they made him walk with a cross. They made him carry it. A rough piece of wood with splinters digging into fresh wounds. They wanted him alive.

They wanted him to feel every ounce of pain they could bring. He had to feel it in order to heal us. Crucifixion was historically one of the cruelest most tortured deaths a human could face. Hours upon hours of torture. Torture most of us can not mentally think of because the cruelty isn't normal. It isn't something our minds can comprehend. We celebrate Easter with pastel colors, happy children hunting eggs, and chocolate. Truth is there was absolutely nothing happy about the day Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and nasty.

He could have stopped all of it. He could have called every angel in heaven to demolish every person standing and shouting "Crucify Him!" He didn't. He knew in order to have a Sunday you have to have a Friday. He knew in order to have joy you have to carry your cross. He felt everything that day. He felt how your heart broke wide open when you had to watch your baby die. He felt how heavy your life was when you were staring down the barrel of a gun wondering if the man you called husband was going to shoot you. He carried the weight of the burden you have felt since your spouse died, and life just doesn't seem right since.

On that cross he held the rapist and murderers, the sinner and the saint. He leveled every playing field and said ALL of you are worth it. He knew he had to carry the cross. He never promised the cross you carry in this life would not be heavy. His wasn't. His promise is that Sunday is coming.

No matter how heavy Friday is. Financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically. Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down and you are about to crumble under its weight. His promise was simply this. He won't make you carry it alone. What kind of king would step down from his throne for this?

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God did. For you. He did every bit of it for you and me. Oh yes, it is heavy. So heavy sometimes you do not think you can take one more step. But look up, because Sunday is coming.”

[Paul Fleuret @RealAbs1776]

Understand this: The movies and shows about the crucifixion have been tame when compared to what He actually went through.

Even The Passion Of The Christ was forced to hold back a little in order to avoid an X rating.

Crucifixion was, and still is, arguably the most excruciating death someone can experience.

The night before in Gethsemane, He was sweating blood. This is known as hematidrosis. This would have caused His skin to become extremely sensitive, thus making the beatings to come even worse.

The fear He felt was the beginning of His feeling the weight of our iniquities being laid on Him.

Yet - in this moment, He didn’t demand that the Father take it from Him. He only asked for the cup to pass Him over if it was within the Father’s will.

Up next came the Cat of Nine Tails, or a Roman Flagrum. This was a weapon with long leather “tails”, each embedded with sharp bones and metal.

He was flogged 39 times as Jewish law mandated “40 minus one”, because 40 was said to kill a man.

This flogging wasn’t like being punished by your father’s leather belt.

Every strike tore flesh, every strike exposed muscle. Every strike exposed nerve endings. Every strike tore flesh to the bone.

This would be like getting struck with razor blades over and over again, leading to hypovolemic shock from blood loss.

Oh, and the crown of thorns? These weren’t rose thorns. These were thorns which were 2-3 inches long. Beaten into his skull.

These thorns would have pierced his skull, tripping the trigeminal nerve, thus causing unimaginable pain and even more blood loss from the dozens of head wounds.

At this point, extreme nausea and dizziness would begin to set in.

What came next? Carrying the cross. Which weighed around 300lbs. This would be like carrying two full kegs on your back.

Splinters and wood grating against the open flesh on His back. And He had to carry it 650 yards, or close to a half mile.

Imagine carrying a log on your back after being skinned alive.

Up next? He was nailed to the cross with spikes 5-7in in length. Piercing His wrists - this no doubt pierced the median nerve, causing extreme burning sensations up and down His arms.

A spike was driven through his ankles - severing nerves and tendons. This would have felt like standing on broken glass every time He pushed Himself up in order to breathe.

He suffered for 6 hours.

His chest muscles collapsing, making every single breath a fight for life.

His shoulders were dislocated, His arms stretching unnaturally long.

His heart was struggling to pump blood.

He was extremely dehydrated, His lips cracking.

His heart more than likely literally ruptured from the stress.

And on top of all of that, He had to feel a separation with the Father for a period of time in order to REALLY bear the weight of our sin.

He took up this burden for ALL sin before Him, and ALL sin which came after Him.

HE DID IT ALL FOR US.

To free us. To defeat sin. To give us a pathway to the Kingdom.

Every sin we commit is exactly why He had to do it.

And the real kicker? He knew what was coming when He rode into Jerusalem … and He didn’t turn around. He kept going.

For us.

[D. @Lush_Beauty1]

My favorite part of resurrection is when they went back and didn’t find Jesus where they left him!! Don’t let NOBODY find you where they left you. Elevate! He got up! You can too! Nothing is too hard for my God!

[Adam | Faithful Messenger @Adam_FaithfulM]

In 1986, the American Medical Association published an article titled "The Physical Death of Jesus Christ". It details the entire process of Jesus' trial to His death on the cross.

In Luke 22, before Jesus is arrested, it is written that He was in great distress & sweating blood. Although rare, it is recognized as Hematidrosis, a condition caused by high levels of stress.

At the time, the crucifixion was considered the worst death for the worst of criminals. But this is not all Jesus faced. He endured whipping so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. He was beaten so horribly that His face was torn & His beard ripped.

A crown of thorns, 2-3 inches long cut deeply into His scalp. The leather whip used to flog Him had tiny iron balls & sharp bones. The balls caused internal injuries while the sharp bones ripped open His flesh. His skeletal muscles, veins, & bowels are exposed, causing major blood loss. Most men do not survive this kind of torture. After Jesus was severely flogged, He was forced to carry His cross while people mocked & spat on Him.

Crucifixion was a process meant to instill excruciating pain, creating a slow & agonizing death. Nails as long as 8 inches were driven into Jesus' wrists & feet. The Roman soldiers knew the tendons in the wrists would tear & break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support Himself to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the courage...Jesus endured this reality for 3 hours!

The Gospel of John writes that after Jesus' death, a Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear & blood & water came out. Scientists explain that from hypovolemic shock, the rapid heart rate causes fluid to gather in the sack around the lungs & heart. The accumulation of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called a Pericardial effusion & the lungs is called a pleural effusion.

To the world, Christianity is as foolish as it can get. They believe it's for the weak. But when you are confronted by the reality of the cross, it's clearly not a pretty sight. It is brutal & horrific.

This is the weight Jesus carried. The weight of the sins of the world, all so that we can live. God's wrath is fully satisfied in Jesus. This is what it took. Repent & believe! Jesus is “God among us” in the flesh. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus loves you so much that He went through this spiritual and physical punishment for your sins and mine.

Jesus is the LORD, Almighty God, Everlasting Father.

Thank You, Jesus.

[Jo ⚓ @iamjogarzola]

May nabasa ako na minsan daw kaya wala masyadong magandang nangyayari sayo, kasi ikaw yung mabuting nangyayari sa buhay ng iba.

[Lumen @LumenX_]

God will literally sit you down and break you to humble you, then will isolate you to build you. Then give you back everything 10x to prove to you He’s real and everything is for a reason. Keep your trust in Him.

[JayJay ᥫ᭡ @Jameca2011]

This lady on TikTok said she stopped praying from a survival place and started praying from a place of power. She said God doesn’t need you begging but he needs us believing! WHEW LORD!🙏🏾

[Holy Bible @Holy__Bible1]

Always Pray🙏

[stevenfurtick @stevenfurtick]

God sees it. God knows. God cares.

[Awesome Videos ❤️ @Awesomevideos07]

A baby who tears up every time she feels loved. 💕😂

[Neve 🌷 @naturallyneve]

Lessons from women in the Bible:

[t. @thandoau]

how crazy is it that someone you haven’t met yet is living through moments that they’ll one day tell you about?

[Thembi_Nyathi @Thembithemedium]

There is something called Grace. When it locates you, it doesn't inspect your certificates, it doesn't listen to your grammar. It simply changes the story of your life. May the Lord's Grace locate everyone in the year 2026 and beyond.

[ღ @stfnigg]

The first morning in a new country.