Posted on 02/10/2005 5:20:05 PM PST by gentlestrength
A local evening news station, KABC in Los Angeles has announced that Mel Gibson's "The Passion" will be re-released to the big screens nationwide this Easter season. It has been slightly edited to remove some of the violence done to Christ, but most is still there. It is suggested that it might be a perrenial showing on the big screens each Easter.
Speaking of Easter, Am I the only person in the world who still recognizes the Easter season as the most holy of Christian holidays?
Alan Colmes of Fox's Hannity and Colmes, didn't like the movie, stating it was just a bad movie because it had "contextual" problems or weaknesses. What I think he means is that it didn't make sense to him.
While Christians are glad at the movie's general faithfulness of the content to Scripture, those who don't understand those basics, need to be told ahead of time what to look for and some of the basics.
I'd suggest calling our theaters to see if they're planning on carrying it, asking them to do so, and then prepping the friends we plan to take!! It is God Who changes the heart giving the ability to hear the message, but we are still called to proclaim the need for salvation, and that reconcilliation has been provided by the Christ portrayed in "The Passion."
Why? I timed the scourging scene and I believe it came out to about 10 minutes. It is extremely upsetting but that is the point of the film. A portrayal of what Christ most likely went through to save the world...
You're right...but for me to call one period of time "the most holy" might infer the others are less holy!
Biblical Christianity is different than world religions regarding "holy seasons." Our involvement in those celebrations does NOT make us holy, or add somehow to our favor with God! We HAVE favor with God and ARE holy when we believe Jesus' death and resurrection was for our sins. It is HIS holiness which is "imputed" to us by God. It has no requirements, such as us "doing" certain things during Lent.
Creedal-type denominations tend to focus more on the seasons during the year and their meanings. It can be done correctly!
Blessings to you.
You're right. I haven't heard the details, tho. A lady in our row went running out during it, saying she had no idea the movie would be so violent. Another man in our theater passed out. I'm sure most of us felt nauseous. I don't think the impact of the meaning of His death for us will change, based on a few minutes here and there.
Jesus Himself observed Jewish holy seasons.
Our involvement in those celebrations does NOT make us holy, or add somehow to our favor with God!
The HOLY in holy season does not refer to us, but to the sacred nature of Jesus' life on which they focus.
The purpose of observing the holy seasons is not to incur favor with God, but to align our hearts with His by integrating the Gospel in our lives.
You said, "The purpose of observing the holy seasons is not to incur favor with God, but to align our hearts with His by integrating the Gospel in our lives."
Claiming we need to "align our hearts" implies we are misaligned, and that there are things WE can do to become aligned. That's not Christianity. Instead, JESUS "aligned" the world, reconciling us to the Father through His life, death, and resurrection. It was something HE did FOR us.
Our situation is so bad, we can't "align" our hearts to His. We have to constantly fight to even remember that HE does ALL the saving, and HE gets all the glory. That "alignment" is a "gift,lest no man boast."(Eph.2:8,9)
You said, "The purpose of observing the holy seasons is not to incur favor with God, but to align our hearts with His by integrating the Gospel in our lives."
Claiming we need to "align our hearts" implies there are things WE can do to become aligned. That's not Christianity. Instead, JESUS "aligned" the world, reconciling us to the Father through His life, death, and resurrection. HE did FOR us, not dependent on our obediences.
We are SO misaligned, we CAN'T "align" our hearts to His. HE does ALL the saving, done by His love and grace! HE gets all the glory. It's not by our cooperating, either, such as "observing holy seasons." Jesus fulfilled those laws for us. Their purpose was to show us how much we can't keep them. This "alignment" is a "gift,lest no man boast."(Eph.2:8,9)
Better not read the Bible and apply God's Wisdom to our lives, lest we be guilty of attempting to boast. Better to leave the Bible untouched, sit down and let God do his stuff.
That's nonsense. We can choose to accept the gift of salvation, or to reject it it. By your logic, an unrepentant serial killer would be saved.
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