GymRose Posted February 23, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 31 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 862 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/31/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted February 23, 2004 Cats I should have said I don't always think about what Jesus did through my day to day life. I know there are people like you who feel the pain so real. I have a close friend, she was kinda like spiritual mum to me, I know she agonises, and her worship and intercession.................. You sound so much like her to me and I think that is why I look for your posts. You are genuine, you share yourself with others and I don't think someone could be the way you are without having such a close relationship with Jesus and understandi His sacrifice. I know there are those that will not need to see the movie like you Cats ( I wish I was one ). But for those of us that do I pray that it stirs up the church like never before, that for me personally it pushes me past the point of never being able to step one foot back. Cats if it sounded to you that I thought you were wrong for not wanting to see it I applogise. I totally understand where you are coming from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad Ernie Posted February 23, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,802 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 46 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/29/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 06/01/1945 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Greetings All, I received this today from the Anzac Prophet List and of whom I place a lot of credence: "THE PASSION - A Challenge to the CHURCH" -by Andrew Strom. I had the privilege of seeing an advance screening of the 'Passion' movie at a local cinema last night. It is strange, because yesterday I started getting emails from Christians claiming that the film is a kind of 'Catholic conspiracy' and vowing that they would never see it. What hogwash! GO SEE THE MOVIE!! Sure, there is the odd moment when there is a slight 'Catholic' tinge to things, but it is almost nothing. This film is a majestic and powerful viewing experience that will cause a lot of people to truly consider the claims of Jesus - perhaps for the first time. Could it cause backslidden believers to turn back to Christ? Yes, I believe so. Could it cause a whole lot of people to start checking out their local churches? Yes, I can certainly see that happening. It is a very powerful film, and I believe God desires to use it greatly. But here is the crux of the problem. The churches simply cannot carry the 'weight' of this movie. By and large, they represent a different "Jesus" altogether from the one that we see torn and battered in the gospel accounts. A church that has bent over backwards to make its services a "Seeker-friendly" mix of warm homilies and entertaining slickness, has nothing to say to a generation that is seeking the true Jesus of the Bible. It is just like what happened after 9-11. The people came flooding into the churches seeking a faith that could bear the 'weight' of the momentous events unfolding around them. And they found we had erected a plastic imitation - a shallow, lightweight "Jesus" - complete with ambient 'muzak' and mindless appeals for money. A comfortable Western counterfeit of the real thing. They did not stay for long. And why should things be any different this time? Every day we hear reports of big churches buying up large blocks of tickets and urging their people to use this film as an "outreach opportunity". I believe it is an 'inreach opportunity'. -A chance for us to look into the face of Christ and find that our shallow pretense of Christianity bears no relation to the real thing whatsoever. We are nothing like Him - we really aren't. How incongruous that we plan to use this blood-spattered, shatteringly 'real' movie to invite people back to our comfortable, plush-seated crematoriums - there to be wooed by our utterly "unreal" Sunday pantomimes. I don't think they will be staying long this time either. As I said, today's Western church simply cannot bear the 'weight' of this movie. It stops our mouths, just as it stops theirs. Our "Jesus" comes out looking like a cheap used-car salesman - for that is what we have made him. We invented him to perfectly fit our 'Laodicean' lifestyle. And so we sit in our lovely buildings with our lovely music and our lovely smiles, wondering why the world cannot get as excited as we do by this plastic Jesus of ours. Meantime, all the earth sighs and groans for the real thing. Tell me, church, don't you think it is possible that God intends this movie to challenge us,just as it challenges the unbelievers? Will we be deaf to the voice of God, or will we allow him to begin to dismantle this plastic edifice that we have built - this prison of our own making that prevents us from representing the real Jesus as He really is? Surely the time has come for another 'Great Reformation' in the church. May this movie be just one of many "shakings" that is sent to remove the blinders from our eyes. God bless you all. -Andrew Strom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yod Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Tell me, church, don't you think it is possible that God intends this movie to challenge us,just as it challenges the unbelievers? Yes! amen!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted February 23, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.93 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted February 23, 2004 A hearty AMEN to the words of that letter Dad Ernie!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GymRose Posted February 23, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 31 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 862 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/31/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted February 23, 2004 Yeah too true. I pray this changes me as part of the church and the church as a whole. We have no idea in the Western World. It is all about comfort! Which needs to go! Yes Amen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catsmeow Posted February 23, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 439 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 7,315 Content Per Day: 0.93 Reputation: 356 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/21/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted February 23, 2004 I only hope it causes others to feel HIS pain as He did...so real, so agonizing. I guess I never cease to marvel at the sacrifice He made for me. I honestly don't see myself being so brave; so courageous...all I can do is marvel at Him. I hope others who watch this movie will do the same. PS: And this nonsense about being, "Catholic" is such stupidity, it hardly needs addressing. As our Lord would say, "Let him with an ear, hear." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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