You are a letter ... written not with pen and ink but with the Spirit of the living God.
2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV
Letters to God is a 2010 Christian drama film directed by David Nixon. The story was written by Patrick Doughtie about his son.
Tyler Doughtie was born on September 23, 1995. At age 3, he began playing soccer, which soon became the love of his life. He was also involved in cub scouts and later, AWANA. In 2003, Tyler was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumor called Medulloblastoma. He underwent surgery for thirty radiation treatments and four months of high dose chemotherapy. Nine months later, in June of 2004, Tyler was re-diagnosed with Leptomeningeal disease, basically a side effect of the treatments. On March 7, 2005, Tyler passed away at the age of nine.
Inspired by the true story, the film tells about an eight years old little boy, Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire) stricken with brain cancer, who prays in the form of letters to God on a daily basis and the letters find their way into the hands of Brady McDaniels (Jeffrey Johnson), a beleaguered postman standing at a crossroads in his life. At first, Brady is confused and conflicted over what to do with the letters, he tries to hand them off to a local pastor but the pastor tells him to deal with it himself and he gets the same message from his boss, co-workers and friends. Eventually, they inspire him to seek a better life for himself and his own son that he's lost through his alcohol addiction.
TYLER AND PATRICK DOUGHTIE
An uplifting and inspirational film of hope, redemption and courage about the galvanizing effect of one young boy's shining spirit and unshakable faith can have on his family and friends. After Tyler passed away, Patrick was diagnosed with CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) and witnessing Tyler's brave bout with cancer, though he dealt with anger and depression off and on, it was finding Tyler’s and ultimately his purpose, to continue on and to be the messenger to share Tyler’s story with the world. By the way, Patrick's son, Brendan has an cameo role in the film as Brady's son.
Before the credit rolls, the film shows some real-life stories of people beating cancer and thriving in their faith. I hope this film will encourage those who are fighting battles against the cancers and to the families to remember to love and laugh and live with the ones who are still living.
Hope is living with courage and confident not fear. Life is not waiting for the storm to pass but go out and play in the rain! Thank God for everything and never, never, never forget you are loved.
The Gospel of John often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus. It begins with the witness and affirmation by John the Baptist and concludes with the death, burial, Resurrection and post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus.
The Gospel of Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John), one of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke) and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Watch this video - The (Scienctific) Death of Jesus Christ in the Facebook and wish to include in the blog as to remind ourself once again for the sacrificing of Jesus Christ on the cross for us.
It reminds me of this movie - The Passion Of The Christ which directed by Mel Gibson and was released in April 2004. A film detailing the final hours and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The (Scienctific) Death of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, at the age of 33 was condemned to death penalty for claiming to be the Holy Son of God with sedition against the Roman Empire - He was crucified.
Before the Jesus was crucified, He was being torturing by beating with Roman scourges. The beatings administered by Roman soldiers are well-known to be very bloody, leaving lacerations all over the body. Romans designed their whips (not used to kill, but only for intense torture) to cut the flesh from their victim's bodies on the back and torso. These beatings were designed to be painful to the extreme. It would also cause a fluid build up around His lungs. In addition, a crown of thorns was forced into His scalp which was capable of severely irritating major nerves in His head, causing increasing and excruciating pain, as the hours wore on.
In Christ's severely stressed condition, these beatings were easily enough to kill him. His body was horribly bruised, cut and bleeding. Having had no nourishment for many hours, and having lost fluids through profuse sweating and much bleeding, Jesus would have been severely dehydrated. This brutal torture would certainly be sending Him into what doctors call “shock,” and shock kills.
In addition, Jesus was forced to carry the wooden beam of about 110 pounds (50kg), from the prison to the place of execution for almost 2 kilometers on which He would die. While the crowd spat on His face and throw stones and imagine the effect of carrying a heavy weight if you were in that condition.
Crucifixion is a painful execution where Jesus was nailed with large nails about 15-10 long each with a point of 6cm were craved into the pulses (not into the palms as we're told as the flesh of the palm would simply tear from the weight of the body) and with a bigger nail than those craved into His pulses, the nail were craved into his both feet together. He was then tied to this wooden cross and left to hang until dead.
Hung completely naked before the crowd, the pain and damage caused by crucifixion were designed to be so devilishly intense that one would continually long for death, but could linger for days with no relief.
In the pulse, there’s a tendon which extends till the shoulder, and when the nails were being hammered, that tendon broke, obliging Jesus to reinforce all the muscles of His back, so that He could breath as He was loosing all the air from His lungs. He was forced to support Himself on to the nail craved into His feet and, as His feet could not endure for long time without tearing, Jesus was forced to alternate that “cycle” so that He could breath. The position of the body on a cross is designed to make it extremely difficult to breathe. The piercing of the median nerve of the hands with a nail can cause pain so incredible that even morphine won't help, “severe, excruciating, burning pain, like lightning bolts traversing the arm into the spinal cord.” “A symphony of pain” produced by every movement, with every breath; even a slight breeze on His skin could bring screaming pain at this point and Jesus has voluntarily endured that reality for over more than 3 hours.
Few minutes before He died, Jesus was not bleeding anymore and instead He was simply pouring water (plasma) from His cuts and holes. Human body is composed by nearly 3.5 litres of blood (for adult) which Jesus has poured all 3.5 litres of His blood (three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who nailed a spear into His chest).
At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” and soon died, after saying “It is finished.”
Dr. Frederick Farrar described the intended, torturous effect: “For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly—dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds—all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the suffer the relief of unconsciousness.”
All agree that Jesus has suffered one of the most grueling and painful forms of capital punishment ever devised by man which He has voluntarily endured all these for us so that our sins could be "washed". It grieves me to see Jesus in such pain just for us and the blessing that we have so far ... ...
Here's the links:
Movie
WORTHY IS THE LAMB - Hillsong
Thank you for the cross, Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace
Thank you for this love, Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace
Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
LEAD ME TO THE CROSS - Hillsong United
Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross
You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
The word became flesh
Before my sin and death
Now you're risen
To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart
