Passion of the Christ
Passion, what is passion? Do you know? Do I know? I went to the "Passion of the Christ" movie yesterday. I went because I was drawn to go, not by the media, but by the Spirit. The movie was overwhelming to me. I feel I am a mature, strong Christian and I could handle it. It was subtitled, which is cool to me. I felt like I was listening in person. Each character totally displayed their true worth of themselves. I commend the Casting Director for the perfect casting. We in the audience had our popcorn, nachos, candy and sodas in hand. It was a movie with previews, but a massive movie I was about to experience. The crowd was somber. It was packed. A lady fell on the stairs before it began and everyone sighed. The lights went out, gripping the armrests, I awaited the movie. The whole theater was still and silent like they were sitting on the front row of a Pentecost Church. The garden scene where Jesus was praying with his friends asleep, is how it began. The betrayal by Judas was next. The courts of Rome and the Jews condemned Him. I felt sorry for the Romans, but the Jewish leaders were so hateful and lost. Everyone knows the outcome.
One scene that overwhelmed me was when the whore , Mary Magdalene, was brought to Jesus by the Jewish leadership. The whore should have been stoned to death by Jewish law. They were testing Jesus. They feared His miraculous behavior. It was in slow motion. You see and hear a sandal hit the sand and the earth gives way. You see a line of Jewish leaders with big stones in their hands. They are tossing them up and down waiting to kill her. They were ruled by the Jewish law that said to stone to death an adulterer. It was the law versa love and Spirit. Jesus knelt down and with His fingers drew in the sand. The line of stone throwers stopped and then dropped their stones to the ground and walked away. This was in all in slow motion. The whore, Mary Magdalene, crawled towards Him and touched His foot. He put His hand out and she did rise. I really liked the direction in this part of the movie. It gave me chills.
The other scene I was taken by was the depiction of Satan. Satan was an albino looking hairless being robed in a black
grim reaper's style garment. The eyes, I remember the eyes. All through this movie I watched all the actor's eyes. Evil watched also thinking it had the victory. The dark figure is actually a woman actor with a shaved head and she spoke with an overdubbing of a man's voice. The figure moved in and out through the whole movie.
The violence of this movie was just as much as a strong believer could handle. You almost had to hand it to Mel Gibson, but I think he went a little too far. After the torture and death of Jesus, there was just too much torn flesh revealed.
I understand that for each stripe on His body by a cat of nine tails we are healed. In this movie and probably in reality, He was whipped into hamburger meat. Okay, the movie will help me grow as a believer, but to the non-believer it could be a
stumbling block because of the graphic display of wounds and bloodshed upon the Savior's body.
When I first came to the Lord, I was drawn by love and the realization of the spiritual emptiness of my soul. I loved to inhibit the worship and the praise of His people. "Promiseland" church in Austin, TX. is where I was really born again. It was 1971. If you don't know it , Jesus was resurrected and then He told His followers to go Jerusalem to an Upper room and stay there and pray until they be filled with power.
I am turned off by the word religion. It divides believers. I believe on a one on one relationship with Jesus. Read the book of Luke at the end. Read the books of Acts, especially chapter 2. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost along with 149 others, including Mary the mother of Jesus. Peter preached a message to the crowds gathered underneath the balcony of the upper room. It was the very first sermon from an annointed, Spirit-filled apostle. He preached, repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus and receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This message is a promise to everyone near or far, alive or not born yet. It had to be Peter to preach the first message after the death of Christ because Christ gave him the authority and power. Peter had the keys in his hand. Peter was the rock. Peter started the first Gentile church in Acts chapter 10. Jesus told him whatever Peter binds on earth He would bind in heaven. So Peter's message in Acts 2:38 is the simple message of salvation. The crowd that gathered outside the upper room asked Peter "What must we do to be saved" and Peter answered with authority "Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus and be filled with the Holy Ghost" The infilling of the Spirit is displayed in the upper room experience. A rushing mighty wind came upon the 150 believers and cloven tongues like fire sat on each of them. They began to worship Jesus and speak in tongues. When the Holy Ghost was present in the Apostles they had the boldness and power to preach Jesus. They had the power to heal the sick in the name of Jesus. It is said in the Bible that the mere shadow of an Apostle healed people. The Bible says "If the power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you then your soul will be resurrected and go and be where Jesus dwells", In His kingdom. You see, the followers of Jesus, when He was alive, believed He was the Christ. He constantly told them to receive the Spirit, the Comforter after His death. It takes more than believing to be save. You must obey Acts 2:38. With the power of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles inside the souls of each of them that gathered at the upper room as commanded by Jesus, this power gave them authority to preach the name of Jesus all over. A believer without the Holy Spirit is just a believer. A believer with the Holy Spirit is spiritually complete with the resurrection power dwelling in their souls. This Holy Spirit inside you makes you want to reach out to others with the good news of infilling of His Spirit, also called the Comforter. We all need to be overcomers. It is our ticket out of here, a ticket to enter through the gates of Heaven and be with Jesus forever more. Read the scriptures I mentioned above. Ask Jesus to touch you and open your eyes to the truth. Ask Jesus to allow you to read in the Spirit so you can understand the truth of His message. "The letter killeth, but the Spirit gives light"...meaning, words are just words without His light. Words read in the Spirit will light up the truth! It is also important to have an open and clean heart so the words of salvation can penetrate into the spiritual side of you, your soul, the eternal part of you. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit you will have the power living inside you to help you become an overcomer from this physical world we live in now. The Spirit defies gravity in a rapture experience. It is kind of like a one way ticket to paradise or heaven. The road is wide that leads to destuction and many will chose that road. The narrow road is the path to eternity and few there be that find it. Find an upper room and be filled with the Spirit. It will be the greatest high you will ever experience! All it takes is simple child-like faith. Remember what it was like being a child?
A child is full of faith because their youth has not experienced the disappointments the world will throw at you as you grow older. The world will let you down, your friends will betray you, you will experience sickness, you will experience the loss of loved ones, so why not ask the "Comforter" inside your soul? The comforter or Holy Spirit will help you through all the pain and all your problems. Become a son or daughter of God. It's simple just obey Act 2:38. Believe, receive the Holy Spirit and then be baptized full emersion in the name of Jesus. Then go out and share the good new with your friends. "What the world needs now is love, sweet love. That the only thing that there's just too little of." God is love. That says it all.
"My heart is ready"...from the movie "Passion of the Christ"....that stood up when Jesus said that as the torturing and His killing began.
We all have hope of some form of eternity. I am glad I know where I will dwell all the days of my being. So won't you come and go with me to my Father's house? There are many mansions there. If it were not true He would have told us so. Come an go with me and walk streets of gold. Are you in need of shelter? Do you need a home? Or do you just want to touch the throne? Come and go with me...
At my website I have my song called "Come and Go" there. Give it a listen if you feel something special now.
www.nancy-heartmusic.com
click on music
click on the song
"Come and Go"....
God bless you with rich blessings,
Nancy G "Firefly"
MAY THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST TOUCH YOU AND MAY HIS SPIRIT DWELL IN YOUR SOUL. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
It's Just Another Day To Me
By Nancy G. Brundrett
Copyright 2003
It's just another day to me of past smiles & joys
I won't be revisiting the times when love was new and so real
Never tasting the cool, clean water of innocent affection again
Now what encumbers me is a cautious & painful reflex of loss
Element of surprise, waiting into the night for his expression of love
Then in my hands & heart I would hold it carelessly
Not knowing if I would ever see those gifts return
I see the cruelty of time has washed away all of it
This "Heart's Day" is just a reminder of what was
And what is not feeding my hungry heart now
But drifting & reflecting, I am comforted
By your past touch & warm breathe on my face
Today I don't know what love is anymore, only what it isn't
Some chosen few will join together this day in amorous affections
But not me, never will I surrender to the heart's pain again
Learning it is incomplete & risky to give when I feel no return
Valentine's Day speaks to me and says
"You can never waste any moments if you have loved."
"It is better to give than receive." It whispers
But the tears & years are a reminder of every mistake
Into another year gone by, I sit & stare out my window
Wind in the trees makes the leaves laugh & smile
The gentle rain can't be traced with my fingers
All I can touch are my tattered memories
This day will come & go like winter's cold breeze
All the wasted minutes & seconds when I loved
Expecting it to return to me like the ocean's waves
Only to realize you can't count on human love
The tide will come & go in a give & take motion
But love has a will of it's own
Leaving me behind again ironically
It's just another day to me
Sounds Of The Heart...
By: Nancy G. Brundrett
January 28, 2003
Copyright 2003
Where are you right now? I say
On the road or staring out the window into a new day?
Is that a cup of coffee in your hand I see?
Do you like it black and sugar free?
It’s the small things in life that add up
They always seem to fall into my empty cup...
There is such a hunger & thirst inside these days
My eyes look for yours & remember your ways
Saw you in the lines the ocean made as she tides
Saw you in the sands upon the foam that rides
Feel you in the summer winds on a starful night
Sense your closeness, and the feelings are just right
I have been here many times before
Suppose I visit this place looking for more
Did I ever tell you I have a tear in my heart?
It's been there ever since we drifted apart
Lay me down gently in crimson and clover
Speak your heartful words over and over
Quietness, now you are a friend of mine
So where is your fire? Need your warmth & shine
You left me as fragile as a winter rose
Standing cold in this fountain that forever flows
You're the only one that makes me beautiful inside
So naturally into your arms I want to hide
In this stillness, come with your eyes & help me see
You were there when my innocence sailed out to sea
I remember we made a covenant ... you and me
But somehow I tumbled down like a falling tree
Now you are the silence between each word
And in this silence I recall everything I heard
So now I get higher to lose all the lows
If you try, you can feel me in the wind that blows
So unbreak my heart as I start to fall
Just glad that you are even here at all
Want to hold you for the man you are longing to be
Behold the woman that you somehow made me
I need the mercy of the clouds and the rain
For without your embrace, I’ll never be the same
I hear the heart say."Just let your feelings go"
Gently falling 'cuz the heart says so
So drink your coffee and stare out into space
And in your mind your hands will trace
The sounds of the heart make this moment unwind
True love never dies. It rests forever within this vine
Rain Dance
Looking out
I see the clouds are rolling in.
I stand and watch
as if I'm looking for some sign.
How can it be
that I feel so out of place?
How can it be
that I feel so far from home?
And at that moment
when the rain begins to fall...
As the drops begin to trace their paths
down the window pane...
I wonder why
I wonder why...
How many times
have I come to this place.
How many times
have I stood
on the edge looking out...
at a world
I just don't understand...
and longed for a touch to bring me peace.
How can it be
that I feel so out of place?
How can it be
that I feel so all alone?
And at that moment
when my soul begins to ache...
And the drops of rain trace their paths
down the window pane...
I wonder why
I wonder why...
I think of how
my life is like the rain.
Searching for a resting place
I never seem to find.
And I know
that too soon the time will come
When like the drops of rain
my dreams will vanish in the sun.
Why must it be
that I feel so all alone?
Why must it be
that the answer never comes?
And the sound of the rain
is all I hear...
And the endless drops continue
on their way into the night.
I wonder why
Please tell me why...
And still I stand
and watch
As if
I had no place to go.
Waiting for the rain
to wash me clean.
Waiting for the rain
to make me whole.
Waiting for a touch
to take me home.
(great words from a beautiful soul and heart)
My White River
By Nancy G. Brundrett
Copyright 2003
Take me back, river
Long ago you when you first captured my heart
Your peaceful gentleness calls to me each day
In silence, I rest my soul upon your sunset's perch
From your banks remembering a moment in time with no ending
My White River
Take me back, river
Love me softly as you embrace my heart
Even from our beginning I wasn't aware
True love flows like your surreal stream
Ever present, never forgotten, your waters still move
My White River
Take me back, river
Each visit reveals yearnings of an empty heart
Standing alone timelessly will you help me understand?
Just how do you hold me without holding?
How do I touch you through the green glass?
My White River
Take me back, river
As I cross your bridge, the highest rock beckons to my heart
Why am I incomplete & alone as the sun sets in your sky?
Did my inner cry pour out and hide in the cleft for your eyes only?
Will your unknown affection ever be strong enough to free me?
My White River
Take me back, river
Find me, my words seemed lost but now found in your heart
Carefully placed, endlessly waiting for you only
We were one heartbeat again only for that moment, alone together
When our time stood still as we called out to the heavens
My White River
Take me back, river
Keep reaching for me until you heal this heart
Be my compass, guide my quest as I struggle to climb in this journey
Seemingly never free, this painful cup is hard to take
But I will drink of your bittersweet healing waters
My White River
*one more for good measure!
WHEN I MISS YOU THE MOST
By: Nancy G. Brundrett
My journey down each endless path is my life
As the breeze hits my face
I recall I've loved deeply
And been loved by many with no boundaries
Watching the yellow rose unfold
It's beauty entailing thorns
Then tracing the petals
Falling to the ground
That's when I miss you the most
Why does love travel it's own road?
The coming and the going
Like all the seasons
Each one with their own colors
Trees and forests come alive with spring
Only to wear a dying look as winter approaches
Standing tall and strong
Most times standing alone
That's when I miss you the most
I rise early to catch the morning light
Comes streaming through my bedroom window
Catching the sun in a prism
All the brilliant colors passing through
You just can't fight off the night
It always comes all too soon
Moonlight gives off orange-like hues
Invisible winds blowing through the willows
That's when I miss you the most
Mountains and oceans call to me now
Sitting and watching the birds floating
Aimlessly in the atmosphere
Clouds for their background flight
Finding a waterfall or two bound for the ocean
Alone as the sunset skies melt into the horizon
My hand is empty now
But I remember your touch so gentle
That's when I miss you the most
Walking down hand-laid brick roads
It's my old hometown again decades later
Swallowed by the shadows
Listening to the past sounds
Stood on my old front porch
Remembering all the goodnight embraces
Words spoken and received
Still locked inside of my heart
That's when I miss you the most
Some say time always heals everything
I say time exposes my mistakes and is cruel
I'm happy your life is full
I regret mine is not
I echoed your name into the canyon
Through miles of ancient walls
It came back to me
It always does
That's when I miss you the most
Pouring into songs now is my passion
Writing my feelings in poems as well
Adding memories to memories
My storehouse is full of so much love
Your earthen brown eyes hold so much warmth
All this love passing through us holds me steady as I sojourn
Not past the tears of a million years
Only the sound of decades of silence
That's when I miss you the most
*My thoughts and feelings about Valentine's Day are just words spoken.
"Sometimes words fall to the ground and do no justice"
Just like the rain that fall from the clouds longing to land on the thirsty earth, only to fall on the pavement and then gravity pushes it down a drain into nothingness. The raindrop is lost in a concrete jungle, only to vaporize and "do no justice."
"Funny about loves mystery...that old flame deep inside never died in me"
As the Beatles state:
All You Need Is Love
So why do I feel a void and a thirst for the rain to fall on me and make me whole?
Nancy G "Firefly"
www.nancy-heartmusic.com
