“It was the persecutor’s hope utterly to exterminate Christianity. But little did he understand its genius. It thrives on persecution. Prosperity has often been fatal to it, persecution never. “They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.’”

These modern day hucksters send the happy, happy, happy gospel that we are never to suffer trials. In my personal experience I have grown much more under duress than I have when things are going well. One of my favorite quotes is by Dr Charles Stanley is” Your faith will go to sleep when you are in your comfort zone”

In America we take for granted the relative freedom of worship but in many nations of the world standing for Christ can mean torture or death.

Every Christian should read Richard Wurmbrands book “Tortured for Christ” He spent 14 years of imprisonment and torture in Romanian prisons.

Shalom

You know the first time I watched that I was a false convert and it did not really mean much to me at all.

The second time I watched it I was truly regenerate and it crushed me I was weeping at the end like a little baby! :)

I agree that it does have a certain influence from Mel and agree with your critique.

I have heard some folk say that a movie like that breaks the 2nd commandment- any thoughts on that?

The reason I would not recommend it is because of the Roman Catholic flavor I detected throughout. Although it was, by far, more accurate than many depictions of the hours leading up to the crucifixion, there were some subtle (and some not-so-subtle) Romish influences. For example, there was the legend of St. Veronica (the scene where the lady gives Jesus a cloth to wipe His face, and the imprint of His face is left on the cloth). Then, of course, the scene after Christ died, and Mary kisses His feet, followed by a close-up of her face with His blood on it (which I took to be a reference to the Catholic belief in Mary “sharing in His work of redemption”). There were other things which by now I don’t recall exactly.

I may have read too much into some of these scenes and images, but knowing Mel Gibson’s devotion to Rome, I cannot dismiss them altogether. So while, cinematically, it was OK, theologically–eh, not so much.

I see those three examples of God delivering His people though – not from – trials. These people in your examples were not taken away from trials, even though they didn’t die – not all trials end in death – they were preserved in one way or another by God in the midst of and through trials; that He would receive much glory.

Hi brother – Iwas hoping you may shed some light [if time permits you] on why the “Passion” movie is no good?

blessings.

Just three brief examples:

1. The glory He received by delivering His people from Egyptian bondage.
2. The glory He received by delivering Noah and his family from dying in the world-wide flood.
3. The glory He received by delivering Paul and Silas from prison via an earthquake in Acts 16.

God sometimes delivers His people from trials, even if they go on to experience more trials after the deliverance. For this He receives MUCH glory.

Thanks for a work well done.
http://7drizzles7.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/gospel-lite-shake-before-you-drink/

I think you may have misinterpreted what I was saying. I was not trying to say that we should avoid prosperity heretics because of “God’s alleged pain and heartache,” and I don’t believe I even intimated such a thing. I was simply pointing out how our sins (and the sins of this nation in attempting to strike His name from our ears and our minds) do grieve Him (I believe it is true that our sins do grieve the heart of God. See Matthew 23:37; Ephesians 4:30; John 11:35; Ezekiel 33:11). But the point I was trying to make was to draw a distinction between what we humans consider “pain and heartache”–things like poverty and sickness, things which are but for a season–and how great our sins are and how God had to crush His Beloved Son under His wrath for us sinners, and what our Lord Jesus had to go through to purchase our freedom. That was my point.

One thing that struck me as you were describing how God is most pleased when we honor Him in our trials – dispensationalists use Revelation 3:8-10 as a proof text for pre-trib rapture; failing to realize that throughout Scripture God preserves His people in the midst of trials. What glory does He receive by taking His people out of them? His power is displayed in His chosen ones when they are tested and hated by the world.

One thing I did not like – the ending. I think it’s the wrong perspective to put God’s alleged pain and heartache as the reason we should turn away from error and follow Truth. I am not aware that Scripture makes this point. I think the main reason for doing so for the Christian is obedience based on gratitude.

Press on my brother – though the world hate you.