I love this movie with a sort of strange love. Maybe it’s because I’m a Good Friday baby–born at 2:47 pm, to be precise–and so I just love things associated with the Passion and the Triduum. Maybe it’s because I grew up watching a lot of Jesus of Nazareth.  I dunno.

I saw this movie four times in the movie theater (my personal record). First, with my dad. Then with friends who could get extra credit in their religion classes at our Lutheran university if they saw it and wrote about it, and then again on Good Friday. (Note about that Lutheran University: at the time I was there, the student population was majority Catholic. Quite amusing.)

I will not deny that there is blood. There is violence. There is pain.

But that is what the passion was.

Did you think the pain was artistic? That the blood was in nice little spots at His hands and feet? That the crown of thorns was lovingly placed on His head? That the scourging didn’t really hurt and rend His skin like that? That it was just a couple swipes?

I have little patience with people who say the violence in it is “gratuitous.” It is real. This isn’t violence to be fun, “shoot-em-up/ Die Hard” violence. This is what happened to Our Lord. If He endured it, we can certainly watch it.

Now, that being said, I can’t watch the nailing sequences. That just makes me squirmy. So I sort of squint. I’ve never watched it full on–maybe this year will be the year I do. I seriously think this should be required viewing for people that are old enough to watch it (as in, I’m not putting a 10 year old in front of this. Start ‘em with Jesus of Nazareth.). But for adults to be “oh, I don’t like violence, so that’s my get-out-of-jail-free card.” Well, I don’t think Jesus did either. “We preach Christ crucified,” St. Paul tells us. This is part of our message. As Catholics, we don’t look past Good Friday in the rush to Easter. We have crucifixes in our homes and in our churches–not empty crosses. We remember His passion on a daily basis.

I think you have to see it at least once, if you are an adult Christian. It’s a beautifully made film. If we want Catholic/Christian films in the mainstream, then we have to be willing to watch the ones with great artistic merit, which this has. The acting is superb. I love the soundtrack, especially the music when Mary goes to Jesus.

And also, I think it helps us understand His great, incredible love for all of us. To endure all that–for me. For you. For every single person on the planet, that ever was and ever will be. In spite of all the ways we continually screw up, He loved us that much. This movie really drives that home. That’s how I felt when it was over–full of love for every single person in that theater.

Now, if you have kids, then watching it at home can be tricky. We don’t want to terrify them and give them nightmares. But if you have teenagers, it’s something worth talking about, even if you don’t watch the film. That love. And if you’re an adult, like I said, I highly recommend a watch before Easter.

The Romans used flogging before a crucifixion to utterly dehumanize and shame the prisoner. Jesus had told the disciples he would be flogged in Jerusalem (Matthew 20:19, Mark 10:34, Luke 18:33). In Matthew 10:17 and Mark 13:9 he warned his followers that some of them, too, would face flogging.

• Isaiah 53:5: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” In what ways does it speak to your heart that Jesus chose to bear a penalty that was rightfully ours? What limitations (if any) do you see in that image of the meaning of Jesus’ suffering and death?
• Jesus’ prophecy that his followers would be flogged came true (see Acts 5:40, 16:23; 2 Corinthians 11:23-24). What do you as Christ’s follower in the 21st century face that, in your mind, is hard for you in ways akin to what the early Christians faced?

I am puzzled. For such a short part of the overall story of the crucifixion, all of eight words in John, this episode seems to draw the fascination of many. In this study, there is a fair bit devoted to it; in both the book and in these devotions.

Taking a break from all the flogging.

I remember watching “the Passion of the Christ” there was a lot of hype about this movie, and I had made special arrangements to see it on its opening weekend. I remember really liking parts of the movie, and about halfway through I was on the fence about how I felt about it, that is until we came the depiction of the flogging.  Now I have seen my share of blood and gore in both real life and in the movies, but I had to look away, not out of compassion for what Christ went through for me, but out of pure revulsion of how it was depicted.

Why did I have an issue with this, I don’t think it is because I want to minimize or ignore this part of the passion, but, because I know it is part of a much larger story.  In the movie, they slowed things down… blood and flesh were flung about in slow motion, it was just gross, beyond any reality, as horrid as it might have been. Maybe I don’t like these depictions because I personally fear that they will get in the way of the larger story.  Will people get hung up on the gore, and not hear the story of love, will they be distracted by the awfulness and not see that God can even work through the worst of what we are and can do to redeem, renew and yes resurrect, because if you want to linger somewhere… linger at the empty tomb… but don’t hang out there too long, because Jesus didn’t and he wants  you to join in him in the story right now.

The Bible is the number one show on TV with 14.8 million viewers during the season premiere.  Given the large amount of professing Christians in the US, that is not a surprise.  The Passion of the Christ enjoyed this type of success for the same reason.

I admit it bothers me (slightly) that the most depraved industry in the world (other than the abortion industry) is taking advantage of the Word of God to make money.  Hollywood struck gold with biblical themes, and The Bible will be on display until Easter making the most of it.

Not only are they using the Word of God to make money, but Mark Burnett the producer of The Bible is now marketing to Christians who are not grounded in the Word of God.

Very ironic.

Burnett has borrowed on old technique previously used by the producers of The Passion to increase the shows audience.

He is marketing his perception that “weird things happened” during the filming of The Bible to invoke the work of the Holy Spirit in the making of the show.

From the Christian Post:

“Reportedly, when Jesus referenced the Holy Spirit as being like the wind, a huge gust of air blew across the entire crew for 20 seconds, which was filming the scene on a very still night in the Sahara desert.

In another incident, the set’s snake wrangler, who usually recovered one or two snakes per day on set to protect crew members, found 48 cobras and vipers hidden near the scene of the cross, where the crew was to film Jesus’ crucifixion.

The third incident, according to Burnett, happened when the crew was filming a baptism scene in a giant Sahara reservoir and part of Jesus’ detailed costume, which took months to create, floated away.

According to Burnett, a young boy from miles away returned the costume days later.”

Could Burnett possibly be trying to fool naive Christians into believing that God has given His stamp of approval to the show?

That the Holy Spirit really had a special presence there during the filming of the show?

That would sure make the audience grow… Naive Christians will be amazed by these incidents.  They would rather watch a show with special effects and beautiful actors, a show about the Bible, than read the Bible itself.

Ultimately, I hope the show will spark the interest of unbelievers to pick up a Bible or perhaps attend a church where they can hear the Gospel.

But for Burnett to imply the work of the Holy Spirit in this project is manipulative.

I have been asked to speak about what Lent means to me. 

Having thought about this for a while, it strikes me that Lent is a bit like the run up to an exam.

First it is a time of self-examination.   Before sitting an exam you need to think, am I ready? What are my weaknesses?  What do I need to revise?

In the same way, Lent is a time for spiritual reflection and self-examination – a time for re-alignment with God – re-alignment with who we want to be – who we think God wants us to be

To do that we need to spend some time with God – to go and find him or let him find us – like Moses finding God in the burning bush “in the back side of the desert” in the King James version.  (Exodus 3:1-5)

Just as God’s loving relationship with us is defined through the crucifixion of his son Jesus – so in the run up to Easter we need to think about how we will define ourselves and our relationship with God.

Secondly, it is a time of self-discipline.  In order to pass exams you need to put in the work, to study, to train oneself – to change

Exam success does not come from going down the pub with your mates – it comes from delaying pleasure for greater rewards to come – we need to prioritise and make an investment for future success

I believe that we are what we do – so to change what we are, we need to start changing what we do.

In Lent we practice taking control over our actions in order to make us more like the people we want to be – not just giving up things, but taking up things too.

And God will help us – as we heard in our second reading:

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are
(1 Cor. 1:26-28)

God has a role for all of us and wants us to be the very best that we can be in that role

The final part of Lent is of course the Passion narrative – just as the revision period must ultimately come to an end so Lent ends with the journey to the final exam – Jesus moves from the wilderness and up to Jerusalem – like going to the driving school or the exam hall

And we accompany him in spirit

For this reason Lent was the traditional time for pilgrimages – and for Passion plays – and its  modern form, the passion film – like the harrowing 2004 film the Passion of the Christ

 Though difficult to watch I think we owe it God and his Son to recall his suffering and to accompany him on his journey.

Every year in the Parish we combine these two elements with a walk of witness travelling across the heath from St Andrew’s to St Mary’s at midday on Good Friday.

I hope many you may join in this – it is a very moving thing to carry the cross and join in spirit with Jesus’s last journey.

I would like to pause for a moment at that point to listen to the music of Allegri’s Misere – for me no Lent would be the same without this music – and, as we listen, let us think about how Jesus showed us the sublime example of self-sacrifice, suffering and dying for us on the Cross, and consider what our response should be to that act of love.

Allegri’s Miserere performed by the Sixteen

So with the end of Lent comes the crucifixion and death of Christ

And here is the Good News, because it turns out that God has already taken the exam for us – the examination of God’s love for us – where he suffered and died for us on the cross – Jesus took that exam on our behalf and he passed with flying colours – for in three days he gloriously rose from the dead and is with us forever more

And like learning to drive or gaining a degree, success in the exam means that life will never be the same again, new opportunities are opened up for us with the new life that comes from Christ’s conquering of suffering and death

The English word Lent comes from the same word as lengthen –  it is the lengthening of the days which comes in springtime.  So Lent means spring and in spring we get ready for new life

New life comes which comes from a better knowledge of God and ourselves.

New life which comes from the self-discipline to change what we do and who we are.

New life which comes from the passion and resurrection of God in Christ Jesus  - which changes everything.

And so let us pray together

Eternal God, at all times, and in particular in this season of Lent,
Give us insight to discern your will for us,
Help to give up what harms us,
And to seek the perfection we are promised
In Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

With that memory and with the wisdom I’m holding right now, I suddenly felt curiosity of the reason why I called it a sad movie when I now know that the passion of Christ is our victory. So I watched it again…

I did cry again but somehow, I was enlightened of the difference of perspective when I watched it as a Christian and when I watched it as an ignorant-but-prideful eleven-year-old… I grew up knowing that Jesus died for us but I didn’t understand the purpose of it. I knew that the cross is a declaration of God’s love but I didn’t know the deep reason behind it. I thought that Jesus died just to show us how much he loves us, that he received those painful whips as a masochistic assertion of love. What I knew was Jesus was sent here just to deliver us the simple message “God loves you so much and to demonstrate that, I will die for you.” I figured out that I was sad while watching the film because I knew Jesus was a very good man and he didn’t deserve that pain. I remember hating Judas for betraying Jesus, and Peter for denying His teacher. I remember hating the Jews who chose to free Barabbas rather than Jesus. I remember hating Pilate for not being brave enough to go against the people. I remember hating the soldiers for being so merciless in hurting an innocent man. I realized that I cried because of frustration that the Son of God was hurting because of people who didn’t have the right to hurt him. What I got from the film was pity to Jesus and hatred to every person who hurt him in the movie…. While I already knew about God’s love and the kindness of Jesus, I still missed out an important truth that would make everything much more beautiful….

I didn’t realize that I am a sinner. I viewed myself as a very kind girl. And those men who beat Jesus? They’re disgustingly terrible. When I watched that film years ago, my conscience was clean.

Thank God, He eventually made a way to tell me that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I watched Passion of the Christ again and finally realized that I AM one of those men who tortured Jesus. I’m no better than Judas, Peter, Pilate, the Jews, the soldiers. I was just as “terrible” as them. Although I wasn’t physically there, I am responsible for every wound he had and even the emotional pain he endured. The nails that pierced his hands on that cross were from me.

I am a sinner. And the righteous and holy God still loves me. Jesus wasn’t sent here to condemn the world but to save us. The gospel isn’t just a sad story of how Jesus suffered in the hands of sinful people but it is a story of victory and forgiveness and love. It is a story that says that while we were still sinners, Jesus was sent here to die as a sacrifice, to save us from the death that we deserved, to exchange his righteousness with our sins, to make us righteous and clean, to grant us infinite forgiveness. And it doesn’t just stop there… Jesus died and rose again. Taking our place, He died for us and he rose for us. He lived again so we could start a new life with the promise that we’ll also soon take our place in His kingdom.

Now tell me a better love story than that

I just want to share this video of Candi Pearson’s version of You are My King (Amazing Love) with clips from the movie.

PS: I do acknowledge the fact that the movie’s not accurate. There are scenes that are nowhere to be found in the Bible. In fact, I’m still not sure if I do love it. But I’m very certain that I am in love with the story which inspired the film and even more in love with the original Author. Seeing a visual representation of what Jesus did for the atonement of our sins would remind us how serious the consequences of our sins are and how serious God is when He said He loves us… But nothing can ever compare to the experience of reading the actual Word of God. I encourage everyone to read the Bible and learn more about our lovely Creator and receive beautiful revelations and fresh hope. <3

It is the human inclination to gravitate towards laws of reason, those things rational, and the making of sense. The ideologies of Christianity cannot be reconciled with those of common sense, however, because we do not serve a common God. We serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Our God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  When a situation looks dead to us and our fellow man, God can take that situation and make it live again. No, it doesn’t make sense, but we had better thank God for it. This brings us to our key text coming out of the last chapter of Matthew — chapter 28 verses 1 — 9. Behold, the word of the Lord reads:

¹ In the end of the Sabbath  as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. ² And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. ³ His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ⁴ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. ⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

⁸ And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. ⁹ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him.

In this particular text, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” — speculated to be Mary the mother of Jesus — have gone to visit Jesus’ tomb. The words of the text insinuate that the two mothers expected to find Jesus still inside the grave. For, the angel of the Lord told them, “I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Common sense told Jesus’ followers, “Christ is dead.”  Reason told Jesus’ followers, “The dead do not rise again,” but I can only imagine that in their spirits they were clinging dearly to the words of the Lord that said He would live again. God constantly reminds us in His word that He stands by His word. Sometimes, however, what we perceive with our human eyes tells our human senses that all is lost — that our situation is dead, but Christ can make it live again. Our job as believers is to stand by God’s word, have faith that He will fulfill His promises, and know without a doubt that God — the Creator of the earth — is bigger than any obstacle we see.

Have a blessed day!

~

 As a senior editor for All Christian News, Ayvaunn Penn is an award-winning writer and the author ofEphemeral Moments: a collection of poetry and short stories available soon on Amazon.com. She also does custom poetry and performances for special events. To learn more and contact Ayvaunn, click here  Click to follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

No to LOTR trilogy, No to Philadelphia, No to The Passion of the Christ, No to Solaris, No to Terminator Salvation, No to Man of Steel, No to Cutthroat Island, No to The English Patient, No to The Saint. One should learn to say NO in order to give the YES performance. #Daniel Day-Lewis

For the past few years, I had really been struggling with spiritual emptiness. Ever since one GREAT youth retreat my freshman year of high school, I was subject to, what quite honestly, felt like spiritual death. I knew that I was saved; I had definitely felt and experienced God in the Holy Spirit moving through me before. I sought after, fought for, ached for Christ to reveal His Holy self to me. But all throughout my years in high school, I felt alone. No matter how much I tried to pray, no matter how many retreats I went on, NOTHING seemed to work to bring me into the presence of the throne room of The Son. Being on the youth worship band, this really dragged on me. I felt like a hypocrite, leading these peers of mine in worship, while secretly being mad at God, for what I felt like was Him ignoring me.

Even when I first got here to Liberty, it had been just about over four years since I had truly felt the touch of the Holy Spirit on my life. And I felt so alone, in a place where everyone seemed to be so fully experiencing the Lord in and around their lives. I was immersed in a “long-distance relationship” of sorts, and so I didn’t go to Spiritual Emphasis Week last semester. Little did I know how much I should’ve. I continued living in what felt  like the absence of God, seemingly separated from His love and care. I felt like David did, when he penned the following, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins,” in Psalm 25, verses 16 through 18. Looking back in retrospect, however, I realize that I wasn’t asking for that last part. I simply wanted God to be the big guy upstairs who helps you out with grades and girls; I wasn’t truly repentant of my sins. And boy, were there a lot of them. I finally went to Campus Church once last semester, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt God stir my heart. I didn’t have a complete and utter breakdown, but I could tell that I was in for something big, sometime soon.

The rest of last semester still continued on, just in bland fashion. I now felt rejuvenated, seeing as that I had recently felt the touch of the Creator of the Universe for the first time in nearly 4 1/2 years. However, I had not had a Road to Damascus experience. I felt a twinkle, a little itch, something in the back of my mind telling me I needed change. Yet, it did not come last semester. I went home for Christmas break, and life still went on. Fast forward. We’ve come back to school, and it’s time for Spiritual Emphasis Week. Clayton King spends the whole 3 days talking about the story and life of Joseph, and how God would take us through the worst of times in order to refine us and bring us closer to Him. Clearly, this was a God-sent message for me; something I really needed to hear. However, I still wasn’t fully won over. I still hadn’t quit sinning, and the bigger part of the matter was that I didn’t want to. I enjoyed the feeling, the high I got from rebelling against God, the feeling of pleasure that Satan entices us with. The next week, after Campus Church, me and some friends of mine went to go get some burgers. I left my Bible in her car, and forgot it there once she dropped me off at my dorm. It was a day or two before I realized it was gone (there’s your problem), and when I alerted her to it being missing, we searched her car and found it to not be there. So now, I still wasn’t convinced of God’s company in my heart, I was sinning, and I had not Scripture to help turn me from my wicked ways.

I continued in my revelry until two weeks ago, when we started to watch “The Gospel of John” movie in my New Testament class. I had never seen any seriously produced “Bible movie,” and this began an awakening in me. To see my Lord portrayed on screen, to hear Scripture that I thought I knew and understood said in a way different from what I thought, made me realize God’s pure love for us. I had been searching and longing so long for the Being who I thought had left me; I realized that He was standing right behind me the whole time, longing me to turn and see His Truth. But, His re-dedication of me was not done yet. The next week (last week) was Global Focus Week, something that I as a die-hard American had always struggled with. I figured, we make such a big deal about the other nations, why don’t we worry about our own people first? On a whim, I went with some friends to the Children of the World concert on Tuesday night, and that’s when the cat came out of the bag. I’ve never been a big fan of kids. I love them, they’re adorable and all, but I do not have the same level of patience with them that most people seem to have. That night, God used those children, people that I thought I got annoyed by, to completely and utterly break me. When they sang “Our God” by Chris Tomlin (coincidentally, a song that I normally can’t stand), and read Romans 8:38-39, my life verse, I realized the foolishness I had been living in. God took two things I’m not a big fan of to turn me into His biggest fan. That night, I finally felt the full power and might of the LORD that I had been desiring for, realizing the whole time that I had been running from Him, not the other way around.

To complete my turn-around, the need to get a new copy of God’s Word was laid on my heart. The Bible I HAD had was a teen one anyways, one that was designed for guys entering High School. I loved that set of Scriptures, and had taken many notes in it. But I had decided that even if I had lost it or not, I needed a new one, something more substantial and relevant to my life now. So, this past Saturday, I walked over to the Lifeway on Wards and searched out a study Bible. I came upon a MacArthur (John MacArthur, a great preacher and author, you all should check him out) ESV study Bible, and I knew that I should get it. I paid $75 for it, I’ve only had it for three days, and I can already tell you all that it’s the most important material investment I’ve ever made. With this, I finally felt like I had been reinstated by Jesus. I truly and honestly repented of my sins, I felt His presence, and now I had His Word to read and study on.

To close out, I have some awesome news to share with everyone, even though I’ve already technically announced it. I’ve been asked to write for www.youngcons.com, a website started by The Young Conservatives. These guys are all about teaching our generation, the youth, about what political conservative ideas are, for standing up for our freedom and liberty, and most importantly, sharing the love of our Christ all throughout this. You can find them on Facebook under “The Young Conservatives,” or on Twitter at @YoungCons. I seriously hope you guys consider giving them a look, they’re two great guys and I can’t wait to get to work for them.

I thank you all for spending time to read my ramblings, and I hope you all have a wonderful week. Check back next week for more thoughts of mine.

Jesus was not violent. He loved his neighbours. Some he swore at (you vipers! Matt 23:33) and is recorded to have used physical force only once when he turned over tables in temples (shops in holy places of rest and prayer that are supposed to buy sacrifices and atonement? what?! Mark 11; Matt 21; Luke 19; John 2). He did not take up a sword. He did not seek an eye for an eye. He was not cruel as those who thought they were saved were cruel to those they called ‘sinners’. Ultimately he loved and suffered, dying in his vision of love and peace.

I saw this image the other day and it has stayed with me…

We hear Professor Albus Dumbledore say: “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” Jesus’ words live through the writers of Q, of the Gospels, of 1 Peter etc….

Remember what it means to be Christian. Be peaceful in your interactions with others.

Meanwhile… I spent the day studying really well, and then got distracted by a colour-ball pelting frog on Zuma. Like video games

Zuma’s Revenge Screenshot

Do you remember the good ol’ days when you could walk into a friend’s house, check out their bookcase or entertainment center, and make judgments about their character? It was so easy. Danielle Steel = sinner. See?

The biggest dilemma was the naughtiness of PG-13 films. One or two or ten were considered shades of gray (not 50 Shades of Grey), but more than 20 would definitely raise a super-sanctified saint’s eyebrow. And to make it simple: Rated-R = sinner (with an exception for The Passion of the Christ).

Have you noticed how hard it is to judge your friends in the world of the internet, Netflix, Kindle, etc.? You have to wait until they use the restroom to snoop in their Kindle and find the semi-smut and questionable material they’ve been reading. And try hacking their Netflix – nearly impossible. A spiritual person would have the password “Jesus1234”, just so we can be their secret accountability partner. But no, they were probably watching the latest Die Hard installment last night. And you’ll never know it, because their password is something like “of_the_devil_1234”.

All joking aside, we Christians are known for our judgmental ways. We get defensive when someone plays the “Judge not, that ye be not judged” card, so we respond with our “Abstain from all appearance of evil” card. Of course, we never play our “Love one another” card. We’re too self-righteous for that.

What’s wrong with us? We get so busy looking for specks in other people’s eyes that we miss the 2 x 4 in our own eye. While a person’s bookcase, movie collection or Netflix viewing habits can give you a glimpse into that person’s life, it is a glimpse, not the whole picture.

And don’t get me wrong, I believe in holiness as much as anyone. We must watch what goes in through our eyes, ears, etc. But I believe we must watch for hypocrisy more. Living by a high standard is good and right, but I don’t see the value of trying to punish others through judgmentalism for not living exactly at our standard. And who knows, your friends might be judging you for your Beyoncé CD collection (people still buy CDs, right?).

It would probably do us good if we played our “Love one another” card more often and concentrated on following Jesus. Just a thought.

مصائب مسیح – فارسی

(The Passion of The Christ – Full HD – 1920 x 1080p).

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God bless you all!

Catholic Photos (1)!!!   Catholic Photos (2)!!!

Catechism of The Catholic Church: Many Languages.

Streaming Catholic Television 24 hours.

CI-P! – CIAf-P! – CIA-P! – CIB-P! – CIC-P! – CIE-P! – CIJ-P! – CIL-P! – CIM-P! – CIO-P! – CIU-P!

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I am looking at what two movies have to tell us about “salvation.”

If you're a fan of The Passion of the Christ, my apologies in advance.

Enjoy.

The Passion of the Christ (sometimes referred to as The Passion[1]) is a 2004 American film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on other devotional writings, such as those disputedly attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich.[2][3][4][5] The film covers the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Agony in the Garden and ending with a brief depiction of his resurrection. Flashbacks of Jesus as a child and as a young man with his mother, giving the Sermon on the Mount, teaching the Twelve Apostles, and at the Last Supper are some of the images depicted. The dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic and Latin with vernacular subtitles. The film was a major commercial hit, grossing in excess of $600 million during its theatrical release, becoming the highest grossing R-rated film of all time.[6] The film has also been highly controversial and received mixed reviews, with some critics claiming that the extreme violence in the movie “obscures its message.”[7][8][9][10] Catholic sources have questioned the authenticity of the non-biblical material the film drew on
watch more ]]> http://thepassionofthechristmovie1.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/the-passion-of-the-christ-movie-trailer/ Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:20:00 +0000 mastan5577 http://thepassionofthechristmovie1.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/the-passion-of-the-christ-movie-trailer/

The Passion of the Christ  Movie (sometimes referred to as The Passion[1]) is a 2004 American film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on other devotional writings, such as those disputedly attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich.[2][3][4][5] The film covers the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Agony in the Garden and ending with a brief depiction of his resurrection. Flashbacks of Jesus as a child and as a young man with his mother, giving the Sermon on the Mount, teaching the Twelve Apostles, and at the Last Supper are some of the images depicted. The dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic and Latin with vernacular subtitles. The film was a major commercial hit, grossing in excess of $600 million during its theatrical release, becoming the highest grossing R-rated film of all time.[6] The film has also been highly controversial and received mixed reviews, with some critics claiming that the extreme violence in the movie “obscures its message.”[7][8][9][10] Catholic sources have questioned the authenticity of the non-biblical material the film drew on
watch more ]]> http://thepassionofthechristmovie1.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/the-passion-of-the-christ-movie-wiki/ Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:17:00 +0000 mastan5577 http://thepassionofthechristmovie1.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/the-passion-of-the-christ-movie-wiki/

The Passion of the Christ Movie  The film opens in Gethsemane as Jesus prays and is tempted by Satan, while his apostles, Peter, James and John sleep. After receiving thirty pieces of silver, one of Jesus’ other apostles, Judas, approaches with the temple guards and betrays Jesus with a kiss on the cheek. As the guards move in to arrest Jesus, Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, but Jesus heals the ear. The temple guards arrest Jesus and the apostles flee. John tells Mary and Mary Magdalene of the arrest. Peter follows Jesus at a distance. Caiaphas holds trial over the objection of some of the other priests, who are expelled from the court. When questioned by Caiaphas whether he is the son of God, Jesus replies “I am.” Caiaphas is horrified and tears his robes and Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy. Three times Peter denies knowing Jesus but then runs away sobbing. Meanwhile, the remorseful Judas attempts to return the money to have Jesus freed but is refused by the priests. Tormented by demons, he flees the city and hangs himself with a rope he finds on a dead donkey.
Caiaphas brings Jesus before Pontius Pilate to be condemned to death, but after questioning Jesus, Pilate sends him instead to the court of Herod, as Jesus is from Herod’s ruling town of Nazareth. After Jesus is returned, Pilate offers the crowd that he will chastise Jesus and then will set him free. Pilate attempts to have Jesus freed by giving the people an option of freeing Jesus or the violent criminal Barabbas. To his dismay, the crowd demands to have Barabbas freed and Jesus killed. Pilate washes his hands and proclaims he is not guilty of Jesus’ punishment, but in an attempt to appease the crowd, has Jesus brutally scourged and mocked with a crown of thorns. The crowd continues to demand that Jesus be crucified, and Pilate reluctantly orders Jesus’ crucifixion.
watch more ]]> http://thepassionofthechristmovie1.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/the-passion-of-the-christ-movie-poster/ Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:13:00 +0000 mastan5577 http://thepassionofthechristmovie1.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/the-passion-of-the-christ-movie-poster/

The Passion of the Christ (sometimes referred to as The Passion[1]) is a 2004 American film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on other devotional writings, such as those disputedly attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich.[2][3][4][5]
The film covers the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Agony in the Garden and ending with a brief depiction of his resurrection. Flashbacks of Jesus as a child and as a young man with his mother, giving the Sermon on the Mount, teaching the Twelve Apostles, and at the Last Supper are some of the images depicted. The dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic and Latin with vernacular subtitles.
The film was a major commercial hit, grossing in excess of $600 million during its theatrical release, becoming the highest grossing R-rated film of all time.[6] The film has also been highly controversial and received mixed reviews, with some critics claiming that the extreme violence in the movie “obscures its message.”[7][8][9][10] Catholic sources have questioned the authenticity of the non-biblical material the film drew on watch more ]]> http://jamesrusselllingerfelt.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/robert-downey-jr-asks-forgiveness-for-mel-gibson/ Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:30:11 +0000 jrl http://jamesrusselllingerfelt.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/robert-downey-jr-asks-forgiveness-for-mel-gibson/

By Timothy Fitzpatrick

With the initial turn to apostasy by the Church through Kabbalism in the 15^th and 16 centuries, it’s no surprise that churches today, particularly the American evangelical movement, are continuing this anti-Christ tradition.

Following the Jewish subversion of the Universal Church in the 15^th century and the ensuing Protestant movement, which was a direct result, Kabbalism became the fiery pit between sound doctrine and full on heresy and apostasy that gripped Christendom.

Today, this Kabbalistic-Illuminati tradition has been championed by evangelical organizations in the United States of America, which have been deceiving and thieving in the name of Christ since the 1960s cultural revolution, when the Illuminati decided to step up its revolutionary activities under the guise of Christian revivalism and Jesus-rock.

It’s not hard to spot this Illuminist infiltration of Christianity. It basically works on the foundation of Christian Zionism (dispensationalism) under seductive doctrines promising riches and rewards (prosperity gospel or word of faith movement) to lure sleeping and unwitting masses to disappointment, and ultimately to heresy and apostasy. The other dead giveaway is the charismatic movement’s emphasis  on signs and wonders, which is nothing more than the serpent spirit of the Kabbalistic Kundalini parading around as manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

There are currently hundreds, perhaps thousands, of evangelical organizations operating in the world. I am not claiming that all of them are agents of the Illuminati, but certainly the big players are.

TBN

Trinity Broadcasting Network, an international television broadcaster founded in 1973 by the wealthy Paul Crouch, is the largest of these evangelical organizations. With a roster of Judaizing, Masonic, money-grubbing swindlers who dupe their audience through charismatic tales of receiving riches and rewards if only they give their money to the ministry, TBN has found the perfect avenue for removing the true doctrine of Jesus Christ from the hearts of Americans and those around the world while raking in millions of dollars from its victims. In 2010 alone, TBN received $92 million in donations from viewers as well $175 million in tax-free revenue.

Whether it’s Zionist heretics like Perry Stone or dispensational king Hal Lindsey instructing their faithful with the same doctrines of demons that deluded the Hussites, Taborites, and Calvinists centuries ago, or prosperity preachers like T.D. Jakes and Joel Osteen robbing the sick, elderly, and poor of their money, Satan is alive and well in the growing American evangelical movement. John Hagee, perhaps the most notorious Zionist zealot in the evangelical movement today, epitomizes the anti-Christ character of all of the TBN personalities; although, his ministry is less prosperity-based than the others and more doctrine-focused.  He has successfully merged the evangelical movement to American foreign policy through his outspoken support of the state of Israel and his fables of Islamic hegemony in the world.

Unsurprisingly, TBN has been at the center of financial and sexual scandals. In 1994, the Los Angeles Times reported that founder Crouch paid his limo driver, Enoch Lonnie Ford, $425,000 hush money over his homosexual affair with the man, presumably funded by the donations of viewers. In March 2012, two former TBN staffers accused the network of defrauding tens of millions of dollars from its donors. What’s more, the claimants are related to the defendants, Paul Sr. and Jan Crouch. And let’s not forget about the scandals involving Jimmy Swaggart (caught sleeping with a prostitute) or Zionist-funded Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, who, like the Crouch family, defrauded their followers.

Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker—when their “PTL” broadcasting empire fell, it turned out that a Jewish Orthodox billionaire in Canada secretly owned all the PTL assets and property. In prison, convict Jim Bakker, ordained by the Assembly of God denomination, reportedly went to a Catholic priest to confess his sins. (Source)

Jim Bakker was also accused of raping staffer Jessica Hahn, whom he allegedly paid off to keep quiet.

CBN

The Christian Broadcasting Network, a sister of TBN founded by Zionist Pat Robertson in 1961, is more of the same Judaeo-Masonic subversion of the Church. Its cast of characters is second-rate compared to TBN’s larger roster of saboteurs but no less deceptive. Robertson is an interesting character. His book, New World Order (1991), indicates that he, like fellow evangelists Stanley Monteith (Radio Liberty) and Jack Van Impe, is a gatekeeper who conceals the true nature of the New World Order while externalizing the hierarchy to his audience. The ministry’s dispensational prophetical view, like that of TBN’s, only further exploits its followers to New World Order initiatives and Illuminati politics (Zionism), particularly through its teaching of the pre-tribulation rapture heresy. One TBN production, the movie Left Behind and its sequels (written by  Tim Lahaye, who sports the Knights Templar crown and cross logo in his works), landed mainstream promotion in Zionist-run Hollywood. Hollywood obviously only supports Illuminati-run Christian organizations like TBN and its cohorts and opposes non-Kosher productions, like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, which fielded extensive opposition and even threats from Hollywood’s Jewish elite. Lahaye, who has connections to the occultist Moonies and the CIA, together with fellow Zionist Paul Lalonde, produced his heretical movies in conjunction with the high occult holidays.

Charisma Magazine, an American Pentecostal revivalist publication owned by Charisma Media, incorporates both the Kabbalah eternal flame and Masonic OTO downward dove in its logos. Charisma Media CEO Steve Strang is a Zionist. His Twitter page shows him attending a Chanukah celebration with members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Kabbalah and Freemasonry

Robert Schuler, Billy Graham, and Kenneth Copeland—all high-ranking Freemasons—are veteran preachers at TBN. Freemasonry, which is based on the Jewish Kabbalah, is Judaism for gentiles and functions as the assembling mechanism for the WASP establishment, as it was in 16^th century England. With Masonic symbols like the Ordo Templi Orientis’ downward dove featured in the TBN logo and that of Calvary Chapel, it’s likely that the Evangelical movement is crawling with Freemasons. Masonic affiliation is likely a prerequisite to making it in the big-money world of televangelism.  TBN’s logo is characterized by a coat of arms bearing a strong resemblance to that of the Jewish-Illuminati Rothschild’s, but that is hardly a surprise with emphasis on Zionist dispensationalism throughout their ministries. TBN also features The Omega Code, which teaches Jewish magic, particularly gematria, to its audience, despite the fact that Kabbalism and Christianity are polar opposites. One is the teachings of men and demons while the other is the Word of the Creator of the universe, Jesus Christ.

The Kabbalah eternal flame depicted as representing the Pentecostal/charismatic movement. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, asIDF the Pentecostal church is as Zionist and dispensational as they come.

The late ex-Illuminatus John Todd went on the record in the 1970s and 1980s to state that the charismatic movement, which evolved into the Jesus rock movement on the U.S. west coast, was directly financed by the Illuminati. Todd claimed to have personally handed a cheque to Calvary Chapel, headed by Chuck Smith. Smith’s protégé, Chuck Missler, is a staunch Zionist who advocates Kabbalah through such teachings as the Bible codes theory and covert gematria (See my article exposing Chuck Missler and Calvary Chapel). Several other ministries, including Charisma Magazine, present gematria and even the Zodiac as Holy.

It’s in the their logos!

Almost all of the aforementioned evangelical organizations and personalities use some kind of Illuminati symbolism, whether it’s the downward dove of the OTO (TBN, Calvary Chapel, Charisma Magazine) pointing to the hellish place to where their doctrines lead, the Kabbalah eternal flame (TBN, CBN, The 700 Club, Charisma Magazine, Jack Van Impe Ministries, Koinonia House) or the Jewish-Babylonian hexagram (Perry Stone and most Messianic Jewish organizations). The logos are a manifestation of the occult’s language of symbolism and probably invoke all kinds of demonic entities that surround the ministries and their staffers.

The Kabbalah eternal flame’s occult meaning.

The hermetics tell us the following about the “Holy Flame”:

The five letters of the flame is the key Name of the mysteries, it is the name of the Redeemer. In the Flame are the secrets of Alchemy and transmutation, and this flame burns eternally.

The illustration at the top of this article shows how each ministry logo depicts a flame divided into three parts, similar to the multiple-meanings of the Kabbalah eternal flame.

The ministry logos, the Illuminist doctrines, and the largely masonic composition of personalities within the American evangelical movement—all reveal the true nature of this Kabbalistic pseudo-Christian entity.

Imagine how stressful divorce must be for those who “live large”, having to give up millions of dollars to their spouses. (And yes, I am kidding.)

Some of the Millionaire Divorce Club members are:

1. RON PERELMAN
American business magnate, Ron Perelman, is an all-star member of the Club, notably because he has married five times and divorced and paid out four of his wives. While most of his wives had their own money, his net worth far surpassed each of his wives.

First wife Faith Goldberg received $8 million, second wife Claudia Cohen left with $80 million, third wife Patricia Duff got $30 million and fourth wife, actress Ellen Barkin scored a sum between $20 and $60 million.

Nonetheless, marriage is still attractive to him as evidenced by his 2010 marriage to psychiatrist Dr. Anna Chapman. I can’t resist commenting that his new wife’s professional credentials may be of assistance to him.(in other words, he needs his head examined!)

2. ROMAN ABRAMOVICH
Russian business tycoon and former politician Roman Abramovich is a very rich man, so rich that he has booked Rhianna to sing for his guests at his St. Bart’s home for New Year’s Eve this year.

With close connections to Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, Abramovich is at 46 years-old in the top 50 of the world’s wealthiest. While suspicion and innuendo has swirled around his business practices, the owner of Britain’s Chelsea Football Club has managed to survive in the world of cut throat Russian and international business.

With two marriages and divorces, Abramovich separated from Irina Abramovich in 2007 after sixteen years of marriage and five children. Irina received a divorce settlement of $300 million, a pittance compared to her husband’s net worth of $18.7 billion.

3. MEL GIBSON
Actor, producer, and director Mel Gibson and his wife Robyn Moore separated in 2009, immediately after Mr. Gibson’s arrest for drunk driving in Malibu, California. The couple were married for almost 30 years and have seven children and three grandchildren.

Mr. Gibson’s personal life and career have been controversial. His movie “The Passion of the Christ” was criticized as anti-Semitic. It is now the highest grossing R rated movie of all time.

His abuse of alcohol led to some personally embarrassing episodes, most notably the public disintegration of his relationship with Russian pianist Oksana Grigoreiva, who he had a child with after his separation from Ms. Moore.

Ms. Moore is alleged to have received one of the largest Hollywood divorce settlements, in the amount of $400 million together with a large portion of Mel Gibson’s retirement funds.

Lawdiva aka Georgialee Lang