The PASSION - NO SHALLOW CROSS
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
Date sent: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 11:07:59 +0000
The "Passion" - No Shallow Cross
-by Ashanti Davis.
I saw the Passion of the Christ. I wept through the whole
movie. It preached "Christ and Him crucified" better than
any church sermon I have heard in a long time. I also
believe it was a rebuke to the church, the Body of Christ...
This "secular" movie was more biblically correct than
anything I have seen by TBN, and really made most of
the messages we hear on Sunday mornings seem very
shallow. How can we continue to "preach prosperity
messages", and messages that do not teach us to
"deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him",
"to make no provisions for the flesh", in light of this movie?
In one scene, Jesus EMBRACES the cross looking to
Calvery because that WAS His purpose, goal, and
deliverance, not only for Him, but for the whole world.
The man helping Him, says..."He embraces His cross"
[or something like that], and I thought - "but WE never do!"
We are taught as though the Lord serves us, and if
anyone suffers, they don't have enough faith, so we don't
deny ourselves anything. In fact, we feel that the Lord
should gives us whatever we want, and instead of taking
up our cross, we reject our cross, and are taught to
make EVERY provision for the flesh because surely "the
Lord would not want any of His children to suffer, or to be
uncomfortable because He died so we could be happy".
But He allowed His ONLY begotten Son to go through
ALL of that for a GREATER purpose.
I have read many accounts, and most seem to be
"disturbed" because the movie was so "bloody", even
some Christians are saying they would not recommend
it because of this. I was surprised at first because with
all the horror movies that come out and the bloodshed
that is shown, that remark seems sort of "hypocritical"
even coming from the world, but then I rejoiced. This is
the first time the "Passion" has been shown in all it's
"bloody glory" because it was the BLOOD that defeated
satan, it was the BLOOD that saved us, because
WITHOUT the shedding of BLOOD, there is NO
remission of sins....Hallelujah!!! Even some Christians
want a bloodless Calvery, but Jesus had to shed BLOOD,
for the Lord said "when I see the BLOOD, I will pass over
you" -[bypass you with My judgement]. The BLOOD
needed to be shown, for everytime the enemy of our
souls sees the BLOOD, he knows he was, and has
forever been defeated!!
If we want "rabbit hole" salvation, running from home to
church, and back again, not touching anyone in between
with the Gospel of Christ. If we want to "preach to the
choir" continually, and create "spiritual storehouses" for
saints where we recycle saints, and our "harvest" is OLD
members from other churches who come to be NEW
members in our church, and no real NEW harvest... If we
will continue to lift up man, and stroke personalities in our
pulpits instead of lifting up Christ, if we want to continue
a "sugar coated" Gospel, that is politically correct,
instead of preaching CHRIST, the Lord will allow us to,
but He will get His true message out, and if HE has to use
a secular medium to do it, SO BE IT!!!
When I went to see the movie, the theater was packed,
even young people, and couples were there. Everyone
went out very sober, reflective even, and I believe the
Lord will use this movie to win souls to Himself. I also
believe Jesus is soon to come, sooner than we think
because the Lord is using any and every thing to win
souls. Scripture teaches that the worst sort of people
will "make it in" before the religious ones, and I see this
coming to pass. Some will leave from a "movie seat" to
go on and be with the Lord, while others will be in a
"church seat" and remain right there...
Mel Gibson made the movie when it was risky, unpopular,
and used his own money when others rejected it. I believe
he did it for the Lord alone.