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Fred Bergh Chris Gerber Hennie Sean Bowes Henk Taljaard Marcel Bergh Alan Page
A
mbassador
Ashlea Gardens
Church of Christ
180 Club Avenue
Ashlea Gardens
Tel: 012 997 1983
The executioner laid the
crossbeam behind Jesus and
brought him to the ground
quickly by grasping his arm
and pulling him backward. As
soon as Jesus fell, the beam
was ftted under the back of
his neck and, on each side
soldiers quickly knelt on the
inside of the elbows.
Jesus gave no resistance
and said nothing, but he
groaned as he fell on the back
of his head and the thorns
pressed against his torn scalp.
Once begun, the matter
was done quickly and ef-
fciently. With his right hand,
the executioner probed the
wrist of Jesus to fnd the little
hollow spot. When he found
it, he took one of the square-cut iron
nails from his teeth and held it against
the spot, directly behind where the
so-called lifeline ends. Then he raised
the hammer over the nail head and
brought it down with force.
Two soldiers grabbed each side of
the crossbeam and lifted. As they pulled
up, they dragged Jesus by the wrists.
With every breath, he groaned. When
the soldiers reached the upright, the
four of them began to lift the crossbeam
higher until the feet of Jesus were of the
ground. The body must have writhed
with pain.
His arms were now in a V position,
and Jesus became conscious of two
unendurable circumstances: the frst was
that the pain in his wrists was beyond
bearing, and that muscle cramps knotted
his forearms and upper arms and the
pads of his shoulders; the second was
that his pectoral muscles at the sides of
his chest were momentarily
paralysed. This induced in
him an involuntary panic; for
he found that while he could
draw air into his lungs, he
was powerless to exhale.
At once, Jesus raised
himself on his bleeding feet.
As the weight of his body
came down on the insteps,
the single nail pressed
hard against the top of the
wound. Slowly, steadily,
Jesus was forced to raise
himself higher until, for the
moment, his head hid the
sign which told of his crime.
When his shoulders were
on a level with his hands,
breathing was rapid and
easier. Like the other two,
he fought the pain in his feet in order to
breath rapidly for a few moments. Then,
unable to bear the pain below, which
cramped legs and thighs and wrung
moans from the strongest, he let his
torso sag lower and lower, and his knees
projected a little at a time until, with a
deep sigh, he felt himself to be hanging
by the wrists.
And this process must have been
repeated again and again...
17 July 2011
The cruci f i xi on of Jesus
Th e f ol l owi n g excerpt f rom Ji m Bi sh ops book The Day Chri st Di ed provi des
a vi vi d descri pt i on of Ch ri st s f i n al h ou rs on t h e cross, speci f i cal l y t h e
excru t i at i n g agon y He en du red t o en abl e ou r sal vat i on t oday.
Are you vi si t i ng
wi t h us t oday?
Pl ease si gn our
vi si t ors book.
Prayers of Thanksgiving
We give thanks for our elders who
wisely, lovingly and selfessly shepherd
the Ashlea Gardens fock.
Prayers of Supplication
Neels Botes is to undergo another eye
operation soon.
Wisdom for the Government.
Izak Connoway is working in Saudi Ara-
bia. Isaks partner, Henk at the company.
Jabu Manzinis son, Sayo is going
through a dif cult time.
Those being treated for cancer: Esme
Rappard, Freda Jooste, Jana Krugers
mother, Liz Foot (Alan Pages aunt) and
Christo (Salomes nephew).
The chronically ill: Don Wilmot (heart
function), Nick Dekker (osteoporosis)
and Isabell Harding (back pain).
Those looking for work: Donovan
Wilmot, Grace Nethamba, Paula Heger,
Deon Connoway and Melissa Conno-
way.
The elderly: Vivien Bloem, Salmon Ger-
ber, Chris and Heillie Gerber, Dorothy
Kruger, Tina Verwey, Danie and Pat
Fourie and Hedda Botes.
Today (17 July)
Opening prayer: Don Wilmot
Table: Debri van Wyk
Servers: Hendrik Pieterse
Liam de Weerd
Christo Gerber
Charl Greef
Reading, prayer: Mdu Mhlophe
Closing prayer: Deon Connoway
Sermon am: Fred Bergh
pm: Young men
Key, money orderly: Bernie Meyer
Security bs: Don Wilmot
am: Gavin de Steur
pm: Owain Bowes
Tea duty: Krista & Kathy
Table preparation: Kim & Dinah
Flowers: Leanda
Next Week (24 July)
Opening prayer: Byron Harding
Table: Christo Gerber
Servers: Deon Taljaard
Keenan Bowes
Theo de Weerd
Athan Page
Reading, prayer: Deon Taljaard
Closing prayer: Owain Bowes
Sermon am: Fred Bergh
pm: Marcel Bergh
Key, money orderly: Don Wilmot
Security bs: Bernie Meyer
am: Owain Bowes
pm: Christo Gerber
Tea duty: Heillie & Annette
Table preparation: Caitlin & Irmarie
Flowers: Neels
.

Ladies Day
When: 30 July
Where: Church building
Time: 9h00-1300
Friends welcome
Lunch will be served
RSVP: Alfreda before 23 July
Mens Ret reat
When: 19-22 August
Where: Li nga Longa
Cost: R480 (adul ts),
R240 (boys U12)
RSVP: Owai n
Donations of the following items are
needed:
Cooking
oil
Tomato
sauce
Cofee
Rice
Alfreda
21st
Theo
Today!
Th e Tru t h wh i ch set s
u s f ree i s of t en t h e
Tru t h we pref er n ot t o
h ear.