A Passionte ResponseWritten by Kim Bloomer
Continued from page 1
The movie shows Jesus finally making it up that rocky, craggy hill to Calvary. He is swollen, torn, and bleeding over his entire body. He has already lost massive amounts of blood due to horrendous beating and scourging He endured. He had to have been in unbelievable agony and yet He is shown lying down on cross of His own accord. He did not struggle and fight as all others who were crucified. Your reply might be, “How could He, he was already almost dead by then!” Then tell me, if that is so, how did He live yet another six hours hanging on a cross? He WILLED it, that’s how! Many have said how unbelievably violent this movie is. Hmmm, funny thing to be said when most of movies, video games, and television programs coming out these days are extremely violent; not to mention Internet. Such as? Movies: Pulp Fiction, Bad Boys II, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Kill Bill, True Romance -the list is endless. Video games: Carjacked, Assassins, Hitman, to name just a few of endless supply there. Television: Third Watch, NYPD Blue, CSI, etc., and that is just on regular channels – cable and satellite have endless violence, explicit sex, etc., and that is okay with most people! Yes, movie is violent but I don’t think that is why so many are coming out of movie in shock, sobbing, and reeling from an experience unlike any other movie they’ve seen. It is because we know in our souls, that our sin caused this horrifying torture and death to be necessary. Mel Gibson makes us feel as though we are actually in ancient Jerusalem watching this event unfold before our very eyes. Was it bloody? You bet it was – that’s point: shed blood of Jesus for us all. It may have been extremely difficult to watch, but ending gives us all eternal hope in Jesus Christ. Will I see this movie again? Yes, but not yet. It’s too soon but someday, yes I will. Does this movie leave people with questions? For those who don’t know scriptures, I hope so. I hope so enough that they will seek out answers in only place they’ll find them – Bible. Thank you Mel Gibson, for being faithful unto God and fulfilling mission of “The Passion”.
Kim Bloomer operates a home business, www.aspenbloomnutrition.com.She also publishes AspenbloomWellPet, http://quikonnex.com/channel/page/AspenbloomWellPetan online guide to holistic pet care. Company information http://aspenbloom.byregion.com
| | Following the SpiritWritten by A K Whitehead
Continued from page 1
What big ones? Changing job, changing house, changing church and so forth. Maybe we are not facing major decisions like this. So we then have no alternative but to start with less important ones: joining a new club, where to go on holiday, take up some new pastime. In all these matters it is not what we want but what he wants. And any apparently small matter could turn out to be extremely important because we never know where a decision will lead. Still less where it will lead when God makes it for us! That is one of things that makes being a (Spirit led) Christian really exciting. So pray and ask for direction in all these things. The Holy Spirit lives within every Christian. If we have conviction of this, then we ought to have little difficulty in turning to ask Spirit's direction. But... Third Essential The greatest problem we have in seeking God's will is our own will. It repeatedly gets in way. It is like trying to push a ball down under water. Every time we relax pressure it shoots back to surface. So third essential is that we must be sure we are following God's will and not our own. We do not want to be looking for confirmations which merely confirm our own preferences. One excellent method is given by Ignatius of Loyola. He recommends that, whatever our own preference is in a given decision, we should pray for grace to want opposite. If you have a desire to move house, pray for desire stay in your present house. As grace comes from God over a period, we shall eventually arrive at a kind of equilibrium position where we are indifferent as to whether we stay or move. The we are in a position to hear God speaking to us. Following Is Forsaking Following God's will is forsaking our own. That is rarely easy, especially in world we live in today. The media, not least TV, constantly tells us in all manner of ways that we need to fullfil all our own desires if we are to be happy. One current advert tells us that, whatever we want, "You are worth it". But can you honestly say that, however much you have responded to such adverts, you have actually been truly happier as a result of buying product? Most likely not, because happiness is God-shaped and only doing his will, in big and in small things, can really bring us happiness. 850 words
About The Author: A K Whitehead Web Site: www.christianword.co.uk. Experience: Over twenty years in Christian healing, teaching and writing. Qualifications: B.A., M.Phil., Camb Univ Cert in Religious Studies This article may be reproduced on condition that it is unaltered and that all this information is included.
|
