I would encourage you all to go see this movie! The Lord is going to use it in profound and powerful ways in the lives of all who see it.

From what I understand, Hollywood (filmakers/critics) judges the movie's success by ticket sales during the first few days of the movie. Most movies open on weekends. The Passion opens this Wed. In a newsletter from James Dobson ( www.family.org ), he says that we should try to see it anytime W-Sun so that it will be deemed a "success."

Not a "success" so as to win the approval of men, but so that it will stay in theatres, be spotlighted, and all that kind of stuff... so that people will see it!!

I am going to fast on Wed (the day I am planning on seeing it) to prepare my heart. I have also recently finished reading Matthew, Mark, and Luke and am on John with plans to finish by Wed. This has prepared my heart in wonderful ways. I would encourage all of you to ready your hearts and minds in whatever way God leads you to (prayer, fasting, Bible study, quietness & solitude...).

God bless and may the Lord work mightily in your hearts as a result of this movie!

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm hoping we go to the matinee on Sunday to see it. Unfortunately, H works 2nd shift all week and Saturday we have plans. I've been reading a lot on this movie though. It's going to be fabulous! I'm getting so excited!

See the film!
Every Christian, See the film!
Every Jew` See the film!
Every betrayed spouse, See the film!
Every wayward spouse, See the film!
Everyone looking for truth, See the film!
Everyone looking for forgiveness, See the film!
Everyone seeking peace, See the film!
Anyone wondering if there is a God, See the film.
Anyone not believing in God, See the film!

The only people who SHOULDN'T see this film, children under twelve.

I have now forgiven myself for the adultery, because He forgave me years ago when I first confessed it to Him.

This is not an anti-semetic film. Otherwise you could say it is an anti-roman film, and an anti-gentile film, etc... The Jews (and the Romans) DID NOT CRUCIFY JESUS! There were those who performed the actions (scourging, nailing to the cross, etc.) BUT it was not them who crucified Jesus.

IT WAS ALL OF US! From Adam and Eve's sins, to Cain, to Judas', to Peter's, to St. Augustine, to Hitler, to Sadam, to Bin Laden, to you, me, your spouses' sins, to the last man and woman to be born on the Earth before He comes again.

ALL OF HUMANITY CRUCIFIED JESUS!

Did I mention.....See this film.

In Christ Love,
ttsmm

You want to hear the coolest thing?

I've often wondered why God made me Jewish right now when I so obviously believe the fullness of Judaism and Christianity complete each other. I mean, why couldn't I just be christian like all the other believer-people I know?

I truly and sincerely believe that I am Jewish right now because of this movie. Right now, in Denver (which is my humble abode) there are a large number of people speaking up in the media concerned about the anti-semitic potential of this movie (in fact, one rather foolish paster--if you ask me--wrote "The Jews Killed Jesus" on his message board to get some publicity!).

Anyway, enter everyone who knows me (and I mean EVERYONE--literally hundreds of people in the last couple of days):

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">"HEY! You're Jewish aren't you?? What do YOU think about this movie? Do you feel offended or like it's anti-semitic?"</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I have been a one-chick Billy Graham Jewish crusade here!!! Seriously, I've talked with everyone I know, including my children, old business associates, political leaders, company presidents, divorce group friends, lady-friends, abused women, men who are on parole for abusing their women, district attorneys, counselors, kids, teachers, customers, people I talk to on the phone, my kids' friends, etc. etc. etc. about God, Jesus, Jews, sin, salvation, heaven and everything.

Like WOW, praise God for this movie!!! The door is not just open to speak to people about The Way--the door was blown off and the side of the house was removed too!

Here's the best part of all. TWENTY-FOUR years ago my parents divorced and the church our family attended kicked us out, so I felt like the christian church turned it's back on me when I was a child and needed it most. TWENTY years ago I began my journey to try different denominations and stuff until I found one that "fit". FIFTEEN years ago I thought outside the box and tried Judaism--and the more I learned the more I loved it. EIGHT years of study and practice later, I started my formal conversion training. And now I'm Jewish so that every single person I know will turn to me as the Jew they know, and ASK ME to witness to them.

(Don't you love that? I do. It's funny. People are ASKING ME to witness to them!)

Oh yeah. God is a wild lover. He so loved these people who are coming and talking to me now, that He started all this TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO in prep for this moment. Impressive. Don't you just LOVE GOD??? He is so awesome!!

And, get this. If I were with my ex right now, I would not have as much freedom as I have right now to witness because he's very controlling and isolating. I'd be at home afraid to speak because I'd get hurt!! I'm not espousing divorce, but in this instance OY VEY has it worked together for good. Howard has taken what was intended to hurt me and destroy me, and USED it as a way to work in my ex's life Himself, and as a way to use me to be free to witness for Him!

AWESOME!!!!!


CJ

Wow, Faithful. That was beautiful! Thanks for sharing that. It's just beautiful when we finally get a glimpse of WHAT God's been "working on" behind the scenes, isn't it? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

Well, I just got back from seeing "the film."

I was reading Mortarman's "review" of it this morning before I left to do errands, ending my day by seeing the film.

He wrote, "I am speechless....."

I concur.

I really don't know how to convey what emotions I am feeling. Basically, the only thing that keeps going through my head is, "This changes everything."

I mean, it truly "changes everything." It changes how I think about what My Lord did for me. It changes how I will react/think/respond/live my life from now on.

I was listening to some christian music after leaving the theater. I don't even remember the song, but I remember it was sort of speaking of answered prayer, etc. I remember thinking, "No. Our Lord isn't just some kind of Benevolent, Kindly Grandfather that we can just go to and get whatever we ask for, "believing that we have it....."

No. It's NOTHING like that. After watching up close and personal all that He endured because of ME, well, it just changes everything.

Right now, I feel like, "I'm never going to stop Praising Him for this gift. I'm NEVER going to ASK for anything ever again!! I don't deserve it. He ENDURED TOO MUCH for me already!! I DON"T DESERVE any more favor from Him.

It was simply unbelievable.

If you have not seen it, if you aren't planning to go, you just have to. Yes, it's graphic, and disturbing. But it's very realistic, and probably just the thing much of the world may need to convince them that this crucifixion was no walk in the park for our Lord.

<small>[ February 28, 2004, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: lupolady ]</small>

Lupo,

I think you and I may be twins. I literally just got back from seeing the film too, and I've got to tell people: they have GOT to see this movie. Whoa! You talk about powerful!!!!

Lupo, like you, my first instinct after the film was to try to pray, and I just soul-cried because how could I even pray to a God who would suffer like that for me? Usually I feel pretty close to God, but tonight I felt so much like a prodigal..like I couldn't even speak to Him. Thankfully, my next thought was to let my heart speak to God because my words just could NOT come close to communicating what was inside--thoughts or feelings. My next thought was to THANK GOD for Mel Gibson--THANK GOD that he had to courage to make this movie. I mean THANK GOD!!

There were so many, many things in this movie that are so poignant and touching. It is accurate and gruesome, but what was done to Him was gruesome.

Being Jewish, there are so many little things that Mel did that might be unnoticed to the non-Jewish person. I'm so thankful he made them speak in Hebrew and Latin! The translations weren't perfect to the full meaning of the words, but it was wonderful to hear it in the original, and the translations did a good job getting the meaning across. Stunning.

When you see the film you should know that the men of Judea wear white clothes on their heads with blue stripes. These are their tallis, or "prayer shawls." Each man gets his tallis and it is HIS and specially made for him--and it symbolizes being wrapped in prayer when you are in God's presence. Well, at some point the legalistic Jews said that we are always in God's presence so we should always wear our tallis, and that began the tradition of wearing your tallis on your head all the time. (Nowadays, Orthodox men wear a small garment under their shirt that is made from the same material as their tallis.)

You should also know that especially among the pretty traditional and orthodox Jews, no man touches a woman. The only woman a man touches in his lifetime is his wife. Thus, the scene with Mary Magdalene, the hooker, is so much more poignant. Not only did He offer her forgiveness and stop the crowd from stoning her, HE TOUCHED HER. Her...a hooker! Not only did he touch her, when she broke the oil onto his feet and washed his feet with her hair(this is not in the movie, yet relevant), HE KISSED HER. Can you see the enormity of those actions???

And the scenes with Mary his mother are so meaningful. I cried like a baby during those scenes because I know that I could have NEVER seen my son die that way and not have jumped in and died trying to defend him. Couldn't do it. Plus, my son's name is Joshua, and when she would call him that in the movie, it was my son's name I heard--ya know? I think she knew who Jesus was and what he was called to do--but I still don't think I could have let my son die that way even if I KNEW who he was! Somehow, it hadn't occurred to me fully that she was his mommy, not just his mother.

When she said "flesh of my flesh and heart of my heart" this is a particularly meaningful Jewish phrase. Sometimes Jewish women were raped by Roman soldiers and their children were the flesh of their flesh and loved because of that...yet when someone is the heart of your heart, it's like the term of endearment from a parent to a child that means they are your life, your love, your hope, your future...your DEARLY BELOVED CHILD. More than just your offspring; much much more.

The scene were they flash back to the Last Supper is so touching too, because it's Passover. They are all getting together to celebrate Passover, and you do that with your family. It's not just Passover anymore--it's deeper. Before you celebrate Passover one of the traditions is that the head of the table washes his hands first and then passes it to everyone else--Jesus washed THEIR hands. The tradition at Passover is to drink four full glasses of red wine, to remember the four promises God made to deliver us and redeem us. Now, the wine is in memory of how He DID deliver us and redeem us. The tradition at Passover is to eat matza--which is flat, unleavened bread that kinda tastes like crackers. Now the bread is leavened or a wafer again, and we BREAK the bread to remind us of how He was broken. Passover Fulfilled.

Finally, the scenes of the temple are enormous. The burning caldrons that you see in the temple are the lights that burn with special olive oil that takes 8 days to make properly, and those never ever ever under any circumstance go out. They are called the eternal flames, and these are also the same flames that burned for 8 nights from 1 days worth of oil--Hanukkah. Nowadays, synagogues have electric lamps but they are above the place where the Torah or Torahs are kept, and that flame is there are a guardian of the Torah and a constant reminder of God's presence. The flames in this movie were near to the area that would have been the Holy of Holies--a place so holy and full of God's presence that only the High Priest could go in once a year. Anyone else who went in there died instantly. Well, during the earthquake, not only did the temple rip in two, but the eternal flames fell over AND the covering into the Holy of Holies was torn in two AND LEFT OPEN!! Anyone could see it, and anyone could go in there!! OY!!

Oh, man--go see this movie. Bring kleenex and a friend, but GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!


CJ

CJ,
Thank you for your comments and the Jewish insight. I am currently reading the Old Testament and some of the scenes in the movie, along with your explanation, make things much clearer.

EVERYONE! GO WATCH THIS MOVIE!

God's grace,
ttsmm

I forgot that we had $20 in movie gift certificates left from a Christmas present...

We just got back from seeing the movie...

SPEECHLESS...

... and that doesn't happen often...

My mother and I went to the theater today around 11:00 and it was sold out all the way until 9:30 this evening-- and it's showing like every half hour I think. It's interesting reading everyone's thoughts of the movie.

Got my tickets for The Passion yesterday! We're going to see it Saturday, the 13th! I'll let ya'all know what I thought! God bless and have a great weekend!

Has anyone heard what Marlin Maddox is saying about this movie?

My friend (a MUCH stronger christian than I) has his tape, and she will only say that I have to listen to his tape before I keep recommending people see this movie. That won't happen for another two weeks (me hearing her tape).

She won't tell me what he says, only that he is straight down the scriptures with his observations, and every pastor should hear his thoughts before telling their congregation to go see it.

THE PASSION - Boy, I'll never be able to take communion, not think of God from this moment on without remembering those images. Those images are planted in my mind PERMANENTLY! I felt like i was really there, like I had to watch this whole entire thing and not be able to do anything about it. I wanted to help him. I wanted to shout to those soldiers to stop this horrifying, brutal beating. I wanted to stop the blood. I wanted to shout to God, I'm not worthy of this! Don't do this for me! I don't deserve it!

I don't know if I'm different than others or if anyone else felt the same way while watching this film, but at first I was very angry at the townspeople, at the religious leaders, at the soldiers, for not seeing what I so clearly see now. But then, after taking a long, hard look at myself, which WILL happen when you view this film, those feelings turned inward. I reflected upon my life & just kept crying, asking God to forgive me, telling Him that I believe that Jesus did this for ME and I am not worthy of it! I don't deserve it at all! I killed him! I'm the one that put those nails in his hands (the worst part of the torture for me because I could hear every bone breaking in his hands)! I saw the love and at the same time, disappointment in Jesus' eyes because they really did not know what they were doing back then. Then I saw the look on the people's faces when the earthquake hit & they realized what they had done, but it was too late! It was done! Then I realized that this HAD to be done. I didn't want it to happen, I wanted to stop it. I wanted to cry out for God to stop it, that I couldn't handle it. ME! So self-righteous! So selfish of me! I didn't want to see it anymore! We read the Bible, we listen to the stories, the parables, we hear of the miracle Jesus did for us and it doesn't hit you until you see something like this. The impact that this movie had was overwhelming. I just couldn't believe that Jesus would go through with all of it. He knew what He was supposed to do. No, he didn't want to do it. He was human. He said to His Father, Please let this cup pass from me! He didn't want to, but HE DID IT ANYWAY! He knew this HAD to be done. He loved us so much! He loved every single one of us that He gave up His life, was tortured, ridiculed, hung on a cross, nailed, stripped of all his honor, for ME! I don't deserve this, Father. I don't deserve it at all!

I just want to thank Him all the day long. I want to Praise Him with everything I have for giving me the gift of eternal life. For loving me so much that He let His Son die for me. As a mother, there's so much I can identify with in Mary. When she flashes back to when Jesus is a child & falls & runs after him (I think that touched me so, so much) and then runs toward him while he's carrying that cross, wanting to shield him from the pain, wanting to hold him in her arms & tell him everything's going to be okay. That mommy's here. It just makes me cry thinking about it. Would I have let my son die, knowing what his purpose on this earth was, would I let him die?

You know, my family kept asking me why I put up with "all my H's crap" while he was away and I couldn't explain it to them until now. I just want to say to them, remember the Passion? Love me as I have loved you meaning be willing to suffer, no matter what the cost, for someone else's salvation. For me to show the love of Christ inside of me, I have to be willing to be humiliated like Jesus was, tortured like Jesus was, ridiculed like Jesus was, and yes, even die. No greater love than this -- to lay down your life for another. Would I do that for my children or my H? Definitely. Would I do that for those I love? Probably (I'm being totally honest here). Would I do it for those that are making fun of me, laughing at me, screaming at me, giving me problems, torturing me? I don't know and that's why I need Jesus so much. That's why I need a Saviour. Because I need to learn that kind of love. I need to learn how to lay down my life for those that are persecuting me. As Jesus said, What good does it do to love those who love you in return? Nothing. But to love your neighbor, your enemy, that strongly that you'd be willing to die for them, to suffer FOR them, to be tortured FOR THEM, that is true love. And Jesus, please show me how to have that kind of love. Let me love others as much as you love me. Show me how to love my enemies as you love me. I love you, Jesus. I know, I fully believe that the ONLY way I can get to God is through YOU. Please be with me all the days of my life and show me what I need to do to spend the rest of my days in your glorious kingdom.

My recommendation to EVERYONE -- GO SEE THIS FILM AND BRING TISSUES!!!!!!!