| There is a slogan making the rounds in church | | | | eventually executed |
| circles | | | | |
| | | | as a common criminal.The Patriotic JesusThen |
| (especially in the U.S.) which asks "What | | | | there is the Patriotic Jesus. He loves his |
| would Jesus do?" | | | | country, and |
| | | | |
| It is abbreviated WWJD? and the letters | | | | would gladly lay down his life in defence of |
| feature on | | | | all that it stands |
| | | | |
| everything from T-shirts to jewellery. They | | | | for.But the real Jesus was instrumental in |
| act both as a | | | | challenging the |
| | | | |
| reminder to the person wearing them and as | | | | corruption that existed in his country. (It |
| an opening to | | | | existed because of |
| | | | |
| a Christian witness when the uninformed ask | | | | compromise between the religious authorities |
| what they | | | | and the |
| | | | |
| stand for.I love the slogan, because I long | | | | political authorities.) Jesus prophesied the |
| to see Christians literally | | | | destruction of |
| | | | |
| following the teachings of Jesus instead of | | | | his own country, which he said would serve |
| following the | | | | as a stepping |
| | | | |
| various doctrines which have been created in | | | | stone to the development of a better |
| his name. I | | | | government that would |
| | | | |
| believe that a Christian is a follower and | | | | be invisible and universal. He called this |
| imitator of Jesus; | | | | revolutionary new |
| | | | |
| so anything that gets people thinking about | | | | government "the kingdom of heaven".The |
| what Jesus | | | | Traditional JesusAnd what about the |
| | | | Traditional Jesus? The Traditional |
| would do in any given circumstance is a step | | | | |
| in the right | | | | Jesus has many of the same traits that the |
| | | | Jesuses we |
| direction.Parents especially find the WWJD? | | | | |
| practice helpful in | | | | have already listed have; but he also |
| | | | supports behaviours |
| getting their young people to stay on the | | | | |
| straight and narrow. | | | | and practices that are not required by the |
| | | | laws of the land, |
| Teens refrain from smoking, drinking, | | | | |
| swearing, telling dirty | | | | but which are just part of the local |
| | | | culture. He is |
| jokes, and associating with unseemly | | | | |
| characters as a | | | | conservative, and he looks with suspicion on |
| | | | anyone who |
| response to the question whenever it comes | | | | |
| up in their | | | | would try to change the traditional ways of |
| | | | doing things, |
| mind. They behave respectfully, go to church | | | | |
| regularly, and | | | | whether it be religious practices or social |
| | | | taboos.This is the one who promotes good |
| avoid sexual contact with others.But I am | | | | table manners, Sunday |
| still concerned that this new trend is being | | | | |
| heavily | | | | worship, white shirts and ties, frequent use |
| | | | of terms like 'sir' |
| influenced by a misunderstanding with regard | | | | |
| to who the | | | | and 'madam', and circumspect behaviour at |
| | | | all social |
| real Jesus is. Too many young people are | | | | |
| asking | | | | events. By contrast, the real Jesus was not |
| | | | afraid to call |
| themselves "What would a false Jesus (or | | | | |
| Jesuses) do?" | | | | religious leaders "damned hypocrites", to |
| | | | knock over tables |
| (WWFJD?) and the answers they are coming up | | | | |
| with do not | | | | in the Temple, to break Sabbath regulations, |
| | | | to associate |
| resemble the real biblical Jesus of | | | | |
| history.Some of the false Jesuses have | | | | with publicans and sinners, and to eat food |
| reunited families, enabled | | | | with unwashed |
| | | | |
| people to get off drugs, to avoid bad social | | | | hands. He actually instructed his followers |
| influences, and | | | | not to use |
| | | | |
| to stop gambling. They have brought people | | | | terms like sir (which comes from 'sire' and |
| back to church | | | | means 'father'), |
| | | | |
| meetings and Bible studies, reformed | | | | Mr. (which means 'master') and Madam (the |
| criminals, helped | | | | feminine |
| | | | |
| people to overcome stress, to stay | | | | equivalent of 'master').Other Conservative |
| healthier, to find jobs, | | | | JesusesThere are other similar Jesuses, such |
| | | | as the Polite Jesus, |
| and to gain promotions. Much of this is | | | | |
| commendable. But | | | | the Popular Jesus, the Successful Jesus, or |
| | | | the |
| the one thing they do not do is to save | | | | |
| souls. Not one | | | | Respectable Jesus.They, too, always know how |
| | | | to behave in such a way as to |
| person will find eternal life through the | | | | |
| false Jesuses that | | | | avoid scandal, and not rock the boat. There |
| | | | is a great deal of |
| exist only in their imaginations.Reforms can | | | | |
| be accomplished through government | | | | unity between all of these various Jesuses, |
| | | | so that it is often |
| organisations, through service clubs, and | | | | |
| through other | | | | difficult to tell one from the other. |
| | | | Unfortunately, aspects of |
| individuals and organisations which make no | | | | |
| claim to | | | | each of these false Jesuses come to mind |
| | | | these days |
| giving eternal life. But eternal life is | | | | |
| something that can only | | | | whenever you ask church-educated people, |
| | | | "What Would |
| come from God himself. It is a miracle of | | | | |
| such proportions | | | | Jesus Do?" And they usually overlook what |
| | | | the real Jesus |
| that you can be sure that there will be no | | | | |
| room for cheating | | | | would do, as a result.The Trendy JesusThere |
| | | | has arisen yet another Jesus in recent years: |
| on the instructions to obtain it. If you | | | | He is |
| really want to receive | | | | |
| | | | the Trendy Jesus. At first glance, he |
| eternal life, then it would pay you to read | | | | appears to be nearer to |
| the fine print | | | | |
| | | | the radical Jesus of the Bible. But on close |
| carefully, and not to fall for any | | | | examination, he |
| counterfeits.Last night I had a dream. I had | | | | |
| purchased an extremely | | | | is a disappointment too. The Trendy Jesus |
| | | | does choose to |
| cheap non-refundable ticket on an ocean | | | | |
| cruise... | | | | question the way things are going, but his |
| | | | suggestions for |
| something I've often dreamed of being able | | | | |
| to afford. But | | | | change always fall short of actually |
| | | | exposing all of the other |
| when I got to the docks, I discovered that | | | | |
| the cruise "ship" | | | | Jesuses for the phonies that they are. What |
| | | | the Trendy |
| was an inflatable dingy, which was so | | | | |
| constructed that if I | | | | Jesus wants is minor changes to the system |
| | | | without losing |
| were to move at all on it, it would simply | | | | |
| sink. Nothing I | | | | the support of the very system that he seeks |
| | | | to change.Trendy Jesuses introduce new fads |
| could do would make the "ship" live up to my | | | | and gimmicks (such as |
| expectations, | | | | |
| | | | WWJD? engraved on bracelets and necklaces), |
| and it was too late to get a refund.This is | | | | modern |
| how it is with false Jesuses. They may work | | | | |
| fine | | | | music, variations to the worship service, |
| | | | changes in dress |
| when it comes to some social issues, like | | | | |
| helping people to | | | | regulations, emphases which reflect |
| | | | political trends toward |
| adjust to life in modern society. But when | | | | |
| you move out onto | | | | increased environmental awareness, greater |
| | | | tolerance of |
| the oceans of life after death, they are | | | | |
| totally useless. And by | | | | racial, religious, and sexual differences, |
| | | | and moves to get |
| the time most people realise that, it is too | | | | |
| late to get a | | | | the government (always the government, and |
| | | | not the Trendy |
| refund.I would like to discuss a number of | | | | |
| different types of false | | | | Jesus himself) to help the poor, and right |
| | | | the wrongs of the |
| Jesuses that have confused people, and which | | | | |
| have | | | | world.But we do not find either gimmicks or |
| | | | efforts to stir the |
| actually led them away from the genuine | | | | |
| Jesus of the Bible. | | | | government into action in the life and |
| | | | teachings of the real |
| There is a lot of overlap between these | | | | |
| various Jesuses, | | | | Jesus... the one who alone can give eternal |
| | | | life. And the |
| and some will almost seem to be identical, | | | | |
| since most of | | | | reason for this is because the real Jesus |
| | | | was not trying to |
| us have borrowed from several to get a vague | | | | |
| picture in our | | | | promote the systems of the world, or trying |
| | | | to achieve |
| minds of how Jesus would act in various | | | | |
| circumstances.The Orthodox JesusWe'll start | | | | success in the eyes of the world around him. |
| with the Orthodox Jesus. This is the one that | | | | He was only |
| | | | |
| | | | interested in promoting faith in an |
| follows the fundamental doctrinal teachings | | | | omnipotent, eternal God.He had come from |
| of whatever | | | | heaven, and he knew that he would be |
| | | | |
| church he happens to be attending. The | | | | returning to heaven. Eternal life was not |
| Orthodox Jesus | | | | going to be found in |
| | | | |
| would never think to question or challenge | | | | the systems of man, but only in harmony and |
| local church | | | | fellowship with |
| | | | |
| teachings, although he would definitely | | | | God the Father, the Creator of all |
| challenge the | | | | life.ConclusionWhether you are a conformer or |
| | | | a reformer, what Jesus |
| teachings of any group that was labelled a | | | | |
| cult, or otherwise | | | | wants you to consider is becoming a |
| | | | spiritual revolutionary |
| identified as being outside the mainstream | | | | |
| of orthodoxy.Obviously, this Jesus | | | | instead... one who has dropped out of the |
| contradicts the Jesus of the Bible, | | | | rat race and |
| | | | |
| who was actually executed as a heretic by | | | | caught sight of an eternal kingdom which |
| the orthodox | | | | exists in the |
| | | | |
| religious leaders of his day.The Law-Abiding | | | | hearts of all those who have such faith in |
| JesusNext, there is the Law-Abiding Jesus. | | | | God.What would Jesus do? He would do like |
| This one would never | | | | Abraham, and kill |
| | | | |
| think to disobey any of the laws of the | | | | his own son if God told him to. He would cut |
| land. He would regard | | | | off his hand |
| | | | |
| the police force as upholders of | | | | before he would let it stop him from gaining |
| righteousness, because | | | | eternal life. He |
| | | | |
| they protect law-abiding citizens from the | | | | would lay down his own life for God and for |
| criminal elements | | | | others. He |
| | | | |
| in our society.This Jesus also contradicts | | | | would forsake everything that he owns to |
| the biblical Jesus, who was on | | | | have eternal life. |
| | | | |
| the run from Jewish authorities for having | | | | He would leave his family, his friends, his |
| broken certain | | | | job, his home, |
| | | | |
| regulations with regard to working on the | | | | and go into all the world preaching the good |
| Sabbath, and for | | | | news of an |
| | | | |
| having made some questionable statements | | | | eternal kingdom that only comes when we let |
| about whether | | | | go of all the |
| | | | |
| or not his followers needed to pay taxes. | | | | other counterfeits.Are you ready to become |
| His hideout was | | | | his follower, and to really do what |
| | | | |
| finally discovered with the help of a | | | | he would do?(See also Jesus the |
| traitor from his own | | | | Revolutionary.)Dave and Cherry McKay are |
| | | | co-founders of the Jesus |
| gang, and he was arrested by the civil | | | | |
| authorities on the | | | | Christian communities, which are located in |
| | | | Australia, |
| grounds that his behaviour and teachings | | | | |
| were a threat to | | | | England, America, and Kenya.Dave's email |
| | | | address is .auThe Jesus Christian website: |
| the stability of the government. He was | | | | www://jesuschristians. |