"Why the Passion of Christ?  Have you seen the movie?  Come learn the why behind the passion.  ALPHA provides an opportunity to hear the rest of the story in a relaxed environment.  Join us at..."

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I make a few comments concerning an LA Times editorial!
Underscores are my places for comments...

"As soon as I got home from the movie theater, I opened my King James version of the Bible, one that has the statements directly attributable to Jesus conveniently printed in red type.  Opening it at random, I read in the Gospel according to St Matthew a clear reassurance that Gibson has it all wrong: When Christ "opened his mouth," which he rarely does in the movie, he told his disciples all of those things that super-militant Christians who seek to divide us never want to hear: "Blessed are the poor... Blessed are the meek... Blessed are the merciful....   Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

That's the Jesus we need in our lives...

Admittedly, I am not in Gibson's target audience, and I do not begrudge others finding solace and meaning in the scriptures of their choice. What I fear is hatred spawned of religious fundamentalism, the same type that tore apart the world of my childhood and continues to be an enormous producer of pain, warfare and division.  The world is currently plagued by Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Hindu fundamentalists who seem more passionate about employing their holy books as weapons than as instruments of peace.

The good news is that the actual words of Christ that have been passed down to us do not lend themselves to such a mean-spirited enterprise.

A.  I was very disturbed by the movie in many ways that I didn't realize right away. The images (and I use that word because that is exactly what this movie is) are burned deeply into your mind. I am an artist and this movie took a very artistic approach. The music was placed and used to evoke emotions that you couldn't help but weep at the appropriate moments. It plays on your emotions and your mind, which I thought I could handle. I was wrong. The Word of God clearly teaches us over and over to guard our minds and hearts from any evil thing and in this case I see I disobeyed.

By viewing this movie, I have suffered from the image of the actor portraying Christ jumping into my prayers and sometimes I see him on the cross whereas before I never had any image of who Jesus was, he was seen by faith in my heart without form that I know one day will become sight. Now I have to fight off the residual effects of this movie.

I do not think this is a good movie. At first I did, but the more I see the effects it has had on my mind, the more I realize that the devil is behind this movie and not the Lord. The miracles on the set.... conversions of some to Catholicism, Jim C. getting struck by lightning (satan is the prince of the air???), and others that have been broadcast on TBN and other watered-down 'christian' networks, are quite frankly only fulfillment of Biblical prophecies that we are indeed approaching the end times. As satan's hour draws ever nearer, there will be more and more exhibits of power and charm. I do hope that people realize that this is what Mel Gibson's movie is, a magicians trick. It "looks" like Jesus, "acts" like Jesus, and sometimes he even [talks] like Jesus, but it isn't [the real] Jesus.  Stay away from this movie and save yourself some sleepless nights.

B.  Then the final heretical thing, which I believe to be the most damning, because it teaches exactly what the Roman Catholic church believes about Christ's work on the cross being insufficient, the character in the movie said, "It is accomplished". Accomplished means to fulfill further, perform, undergo, bring to pass, or do. "It is finished" in the King James Bible means to end, complete, perfect, conclude, make an end. So, you can see by changing that word finished to accomplished you have now taught the Catholic church's doctrine of Christ's work on the cross, that there is still more for YOU to do to work for your salvation: mass, sacraments, etc. This one point alone sent such grief and pain into my heart for my Saviour because I let myself sit there in that theater and see and hear such damnable heresy about my Redeemer.

My God has forgiven me and I hope that someday He will be able to remove all images of that movie from my mind.

C.  Many of the things in the biblical crucifixion account that show Jesus' power were left out. In the garden when Jesus said, "I am he," nobody fell over backward.

I almost forgot to mention the part about Mary drinking Jesus' blood. While he is on the cross, Mary comes up and kisses his foot. The blood runs down into her mouth, and she backs away almost licking her lips with blood all over her face (that's taking transubstantiation literally).

One of the creepiest things about the movie is the portrayal of evil. The Satan woman is horrible. At one point she is standing there looking at Jesus suffer holding a baby. She is supposed to be an evil parody of the Madonna & Child. The baby turns its head and reveals a demonic face.

I left the theater feeling angry. How can any of the Evangelical leaders endorse this movie? How can they say that it follows the Gospel accounts? They are not only endorsing, but recommending this movie to everyone. The true colors of evangelical leaders are coming out.

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Another testimony: Whatever you or I may think of this movie, it has achieved at least one thing.  After visiting several message boards where the movie is being discussed, I have found that THE PASSION IS BEING VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS TO BE MORE ECUMENICALLY UNITED!  I am convinced that ecumenism will be the movie's greatest legacy.

(At this time, I show the powerpoint presentation of the picture of the antichrist in the movie with the right eye darkened as well as Mel Gibson's own logo for his production company as being a one eye face - and also the picture of the nun that wrote the book that Gibson followed - also with the one eye picture over her body in the vision.)

More comments are in the audio concerning Haggai, but basically, Haggai is preaching to the people concerning rebuilding the temple that was destroyed during their captivity to Babylon (as told in II Kings 24,25).

After 70 years captivity, about 50,000 Jews, under Zerubbabel, return to Jerusalem, start work on the Temple and then quit. It is 15 years later that the Lord finally gets on them for sitting around and letting the enemy keep them from building the Temple.

P.S.  Nehemiah rebuilds the wall 100 years later.

We have spent a long time preaching and teaching on the wall that we fathers need to build around our family, etc. and the church, etc. but now, let's consider the temple that is inside that wall!

This 'sitting around' is the cause of the physical drought from God in verse 11.

Is there a spiritual drought in your life, could it be because there is a problem with the temple of God.  (not on His part, though).

We are not to be concerned about a physical drought today - we need to concerned about the kingdom of God - a spiritual kingdom (Romans 14:17), not the kingdom of heaven (earthly, physical, literal kingdom).

I Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
I Corinthians 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

John 8:44  ... the devil ... was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

I John 4:1 - Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

II Corinthians 6:14-7:1 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:11 - And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Romans 16:17  Mark them - cause divisions

II Thessalonians 3:6,14,15 - Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

I Timothy 1:3 - ...charge some that they teach no other doctrine.

I John 2:15-16 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ..

Galatians 1:6-8 - I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Romans 16:17,18 - ... mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

2:4-9 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

Acts 19:19,20  Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.