False Jesus: Recent Episodes

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It has been one year since I started writing and recording this ‘False Jesus’ project. I have loved exploring cultural misconceptions of Jesus and Christianity with you this past year while digging into what Jesus had to say about Himself and these issues.

However, I’ve decided to push pause on this little passion project.

To be honest, I just need a break from writing and teaching. At 45, I’m recognizing that I cannot keep the pace I did when I was 35 and even 40. Especially after the pandemic and living the rhythm of my new role in ministry, I’m learning that I have to pace myself for maximum impact.

Erica and I are celebrating 25 years in full-time ministry this year! During that time, we have never taken an extended break away from ministry. Some call this a sabbatical. While we can’t afford to go away for a couple of months like some do (for multiple reasons and especially our phase of life), we are going to take an extended break from all the “extra” in our lives to slow down the pace for this month before our next big push of ministry.

‘False Jesus’ is one of those extra things I really enjoy doing, and sometimes even the good things need to be laid down on the altar to find an even better rhythm of a Jesus-centered lifestyle. I don’t know how long this pause will be, but I do know that the Holy Spirit will whisper to me if or when I’m to pick ‘False Jesus’ back up from the altar.

Until then, please continue to test anything you see and hear about God, Jesus, and Christianity against the Scriptures. Don’t take anyone’s word for it until you run it through the holy grid of what God has already revealed in the Bible. Keep searching after the true Jesus of the Bible and don’t settle for a cultural False Jesus.

Thank you for being on this journey with me.

God bless you.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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Taken at face value, the word “deconstruction” is a literary analysis of a text and its meaning. A breaking down to get to the significance of something written or spoken.

However, deconstruction has become a loaded term today.

Deconstruction is now the popular spiritual buzzword within today’s mainstream Christian culture. This word might be newer to some with the rise of social media as we’re hearing more often about Christian celebrities deconstructing and leaving their faith or the forecasting of an entire generation deconstructing their faith and leaving the Church. However, it has been around for a while in America, and its sentiment has been around for thousands of years reaching across the globe.

While the word “deconstruction” is newer in the 2000s, the process of questioning faith in Jesus and the beliefs of Christianity is as old as the movement itself. In fact, a “doubter” named Thomas was a part of Jesus’ original ministry team, and he demanded solid physical evidence before he would believe in Jesus’ resurrection (see John 20:24-31). You can read about people who were following Jesus, but then after hearing Him preach a hard sermon they didn’t agree with, they left Him. They stopped following Jesus (see John 6:25-66). Even Jesus’ own family struggled to believe in the validity of Jesus’ claims having grown up with him (see John 7:1-5).

The practice of questioning Christianity and disagreeing with Jesus and His teachings is all over the pages of the New Testament of the Bible.

Deconstruction might be today’s buzzword, but it’s simply history repeating itself. People have been deconstructing Christianity and their belief in Jesus for thousands of years. This is just the new remake of an old movie.

So, it’s with fear and trembling before God that I want to put a new spin on both the old movie and the new buzzword.

Deconstructing the False Jesus

Have you ever considered that Jesus would welcome the deconstruction of today’s mainstream version of himself and cultural Christianity? Re-read that question slowly.

I think Jesus would encourage deconstruction.

To be frank, that’s what I’ve been doing over this last year as we’ve journeyed together.

This little passion project called ‘False Jesus’ exists to examine the cultural misconceptions about Jesus and Christianity. Both inside the Church and for those who don’t follow Jesus. My hope with this podcast is to re-present the Jesus of the Bible to those who are willing to listen.

On this journey, we’ve discovered together that some of the things we learned about Jesus as kids were simply not true. We’ve also learned some things that maybe we were never taught growing up, and we wouldn’t have known these truths unless we did a deep dive into what Jesus said about himself. As a result of examining the Scriptures for ourselves (and not just taking someone else’s word for it), we have been surprised (in some instances) that our childhood or college version of Jesus and Christianity does not equal the real Jesus and His original teachings. The Jesus we see in the mainstream media and political rallies is a False Jesus.

Welcome to my ongoing process of deconstruction. If that’s what you want to call it.

We have been asking hard questions and wrestling with culture’s misrepresentation of Jesus. We’ve been examining Jesus’ claims about Himself. We’ve been looking at the difference between the movement of Christianity when compared to world religions. We’ve asked age-old questions including Jesus’ legitimacy.

But now let me take it one step further…

I think an argument could be made that Jesus led the first deconstruction movement. With his very life and groundbreaking teaching in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), Jesus broke down thousands of years of Jewish and religious tradition and preached a new Way. As Jesus dismantled certain man-made religious laws, rabbinical teachings, and wayward motives, He also claimed to fulfill God’s initiated law and long-standing prophecies. Jesus’ life, teachings, and ministry turned an entire religious system on its head in just a few short years.

How’s that for deconstruction?

God-Initiated vs Man-Made

Now, this is where I have to be very careful to be absolutely clear, lest you think I’m a heretic. We have to focus on those two terms in deconstruction.

God-initiated versus man-made.

Huge distinction. Massive implications.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus draws a clear difference between what is God-initiated and Man-made. In essence, Jesus keeps what God initiated with his people in the first place and throws out the extra rules and behaviors that were made and modeled by man. He highlights a God-law and explains the heart behind it but throws out the Man-law and exposes the motive behind it.

Mattew 5 records Jesus saying several times, “You have heard that it was said…but I say…” You’ve heard it taught…and then He goes on to quote the Law that God downloaded to Moses. He doesn’t disagree with it, but He then expounds on it with meaning. Jesus “ups the ante” on the heart behind the law.

For example, the heart behind “You must not murder.” is that you and I should not kill people, yes. But Jesus went deeper and said we shouldn’t even have hate in our hearts for anyone. We should have God’s desire for reconciliation of relationships (Matthew 5:21-24). That’s at the heart of God’s Law.

Another example is the heart behind “You must not commit adultery.” as the healthy pursuit of purity and love, not the corroding cycle of lust and its consequences (Matthew 5:27-30). Jesus reveals God’s care for us when He expounds on that law.

Jesus not only dissects the Law with the heart behind it, but He then goes on to call out the behavior of the religious individuals who are completely missing the point and the heart of God by heaping all of these extra and unnecessary expectations on people.

Does this not sound familiar? Is this not what most people are deconstructing Christianity for today and centuries past?

In my conversations with people who are deconstructing their Christian faith, most of them are not leaving because of Jesus. They’re leaving because His followers are missing the point. They’re leaving because of bad church experiences. They’re leaving because churches teach more about political positions than passages of Scripture. They’re leaving because of pastoral abuses. They’re sick and tired of the traditions and church in-fighting that is more prevalent than the heart of God.

Jesus was the master deconstructor of religious and institutional hypocrisy and man-made preferences and traditions. Jesus tore down that type of behavior of man-made religious systems and showed people the Way of God. The Way of Love.

I believe that Jesus deconstructed what was man-made and fulfilled what was God-initiated. Jesus tore down the cultural and acceptable religious interpretations of those laws and built back the original meaning of God’s Law through His teachings and His life. He dismantled the years of religious baggage and presented God’s covenantal desire for a relationship with Him and with each other.

Did Jesus Encourage Deconstruction?

What I love about Jesus’ model of relational discipleship is that He welcomed good questions and tough conversations from His students. He asked hard and thought-provoking questions in His teachings, and He encouraged people to wrestle with their doubts. A good exercise might be to read the Gospels and highlight every time a person asked Jesus a tough question and when Jesus asked a difficult question in return.

The point is this…Jesus is not afraid of our hard questions. Jesus is not anxious over our doubts. Jesus is not nervous about people deconstructing or even leaving the Christian faith. Before you think I’m crazy, let me show you…

John 6:21-59 records a fascinating and hard-to-understand sermon from Jesus. In it, He calls out people for simply following Him for the “show.” Signs and wonders…and more food. Jesus had just miraculously fed the 5,000 the day before and now the people wanted more. Well, Jesus gave them a lot more than they came for.

Jesus taught them a hard-to-swallow sermon about Him being the Messiah and the Bread of Life. He taught that people would have to eat His body and drink His blood, which was a foreshadowing metaphor that many of them apparently took literally. They came to the conclusion that Jesus was some sort of cannibal cult leader. This put them over the edge.

Take a look at verses 60-67 and focus on the questions between Jesus and his disciples.

Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

I want to stop there so we can see that many of Jesus’ disciples chose to leave Him. After hearing that sermon, they questioned Jesus. They doubted His claims. They could not accept that Jesus was the Messiah, and they would no longer follow His teachings. They deconstructed their faith and trust in Him, and they chose to leave the movement.

That is heartbreaking. It’s tough to read this let alone experience it firsthand. It’s devastating to see people who’ve grown up in the church deconstruct their faith experience and then leave. It’s rough to watch people go through this process of dismantling the hard teachings of Jesus and choose to leave the church. But I really want us to notice something here.

Did you see how Jesus responded? It’s even more fascinating than the sermon itself.

Jesus turned to the twelve apostles whom He had chosen and asked them a question. A massive question. A shocking question. A deconstructing question.

“Are you also going to leave?”

Hold up. That’s crazy! Did Jesus really give his closest followers permission to leave? Did He give them an out? After following Him and seeing the miracles and hearing Him teach, did Jesus really just ask that question? “Are you also going to leave?”

Yes! Yes, He did.

This was a massive watershed moment where Jesus encouraged them to take all that they’ve seen and heard from Him and to weigh it very carefully. He gave them a choice. Stay or go. This is where the rubber meets the road, fellas. It’s put up or shut up time. Are you in or out? Think hard before you make the leap!

Jesus encouraged even his closest followers to critically think about Who they were following, what they believed, and what they were getting themselves into. I believe that Jesus, at that moment, instigated his own student’s consideration with this incredibly hard question of what we now call deconstruction.

Two Responses to Deconstruction

I don’t know if Peter’s answer was instantaneous or if he took some time to consider it before speaking. Was it a gut reaction, or was it carefully weighed?

In response to Jesus’ question, Peter asked a question and immediately answered it. He replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

This is a very different response than the first group who decided to walk away from Jesus. Peter, on behalf of the twelve, said we believe. We’re in. We’re going to continue following you, Jesus.

Here we have two radically different deconstruction responses to Jesus’ teaching and questions. We see both groups are given the same opportunity to carefully consider following Jesus. Both groups were encouraged to really think before they made their decision. Both groups had the choice to walk away from Jesus.

One group does. The other does not.

All I simply want us to see is that Jesus made room for what we now call deconstruction. He wants people to examine His life and His teachings carefully. His model of discipleship and sermons were full of great questions. Jesus encouraged people to bring their questions to Him, and He addressed their doubts. This is what I love about Jesus!

But it makes me wonder if our model of discipleship in our churches today allows for the same kind of questioning and wrestling. Do we give people a forum to ask hard questions about Jesus and Christianity? Do we allow people to bring their doubts out into the open for a good conversation? When people do feel comfortable enough to ask and doubt, are they met with love and grace or ridicule and disdain?

If Jesus gave his disciples the opportunity for deconstruction, our churches should make it safe for people to do so with us. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Church in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to “test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.”

I wonder what would happen in our churches if Christians created a safe space for this kind of testing. I wonder what would take place if we gave people an opportunity to ask the really hard questions about Jesus and Christianity within a civil dialogue. I’m curious about a model where skeptics would be encouraged to deconstruct openly while being challenged to study the real Jesus in the pages of the Bible and not just take someone else’s word for it.

The reality is they still might walk away from Jesus and His teachings, but at least it wouldn’t be because of the harmful behavior of the people in His Church.

Before You Go

This ‘False Jesus’ podcast is all about fixing our eyes on the real Jesus of the Bible. Terms like “deconstruction” can be so divisive in our culture when not explained or fully understood. My simple desire is to unify us on Jesus and what He taught. My hope by bringing this perspective is to encourage you to keep asking questions about God, Christianity, Jesus, and the Bible.

If after hearing this you don’t agree with me, that’s okay. My stake in the ground has been and will continue to be…Don’t take my word for it. Take God’s Word for it. Follow Jesus, not me. Consider Jesus’ teachings, not mine. Test everything I say according to the Bible and follow the lead of Jesus.

If genuinely testing and asking good questions means we’re deconstructing, then I think Jesus would encourage it.

Bring your concerns to Jesus. Ask Him to show you the answers. Read what He has already revealed in the Bible and ask the tough questions. Don’t ever stop bringing your doubts. The real Jesus is not afraid of your deconstruction.

With every False Jesus podcast, I like to include a creative piece. This one is an excerpt of a song written by Grammy-winning rapper, Lecrea, on his “Church Clothes 4” album.

Deconstruction

by Lecrae

Tears streaming as I weep, felt I heard the Lord speakI've been running from you but you never ran away from meIt was people that hurt me, it wasn't God, thoughI let the church trauma turn into a God woundI learned the western world has twisted up the scripturesSo when I re-enlisted, I learned the eastern contextThe way that Jesus meant itMy peace has been cemented, my soul has been re-liftedMy deconstruction ended, reconstruction is beginningMy peace has been cemented, my soul has been re-liftedMy deconstruction ended, reconstruction is beginningFind your way back home

Click here to listen to the full song with lyrics.

With every False Jesus podcast, I like to suggest an organization or ministry you may want to consider. If you are a person of faith and a sports fan or know someone who is, then you have to check out Sports Spectrum, where sports and faith connect.

Led by my friend, Jason Romano, who was an Emmy-Award-winning Producer and Senior Manager at ESPN, Sports Spectrum is an incredible ministry full of podcasts, magazines, devotionals, and videos for athletes and fans of all ages.

When you visit sportsspectrum.com, you’ll hear podcasts of player and coach testimonies, you’ll read thousands of God-first articles from professional athletes, and you’ll see amazing videos about the intersection of sports and faith that you can share with your friends.

I highly encourage you to check out Sports Spectrum and all of its content today!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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I love a good buffet! I get to choose what I want from all sorts of food. Whatever I desire, I dine on. Whatever I fancy, I feast on. If I know it pleases my palate, I put it on my plate. If I know it won’t, I keep walking.

Another great thing about a buffet line is that I can try all kinds of food! I am paying for an all-you-can-eat experience, so it doesn’t hurt to put something I might not like on my plate to try it. If I don’t like it, I can just push it to the side. If I do like it, then I can go back for more.

From what I see in our culture today, many people approach spirituality like a buffet. A little Jesus. A bit of Buddha. A taste of Luther. One scoop of their favorite Instagram preacher. Throw on a zodiac sign, one horoscope with a side of crystals. Then season it all with a little donkey or elephant.

As we walk through the spiritual buffet line, many of us fill our plates with what we prefer and leave off what we don’t like. But there’s a big problem with this when it comes to Jesus and Christianity.

Jesus doesn’t serve buffets. He’s not in the buffet business. The Jesus of the Bible is more of a “this is what we’re having for dinner” kind of chef than he is a made-to-order cook.

When you read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), time and time again you’ll see Jesus serving up some proteins and vegetable-like teaching, and people are left with a choice of whether they’re going to eat what he presented or walk down their own buffet line.

Three of the four Gospels record a fascinating conversation that Jesus had with a Rich Young Man. We don’t know his name, but we know that he was very spiritual and even religious. Mark 10 records…

The Rich Young Man

17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. - Mark 10:17-22 NLT

This young guy walked away from the dinner table sad. Apparently, he wanted dessert, but he got vegetables instead. What Jesus served to this rich young man was not palatable for his lifestyle. Even though he’d been eating much of what Jesus was teaching his whole life, he didn’t want to eat this last bite because it didn’t fit with what he wanted in his spiritual lifestyle.

Jesus knew that this guy’s wealth and stuff had become an idol in his life. His possessions were the barrier to having a relationship with the One who could give him eternal life. Jesus served up the meal of a lifetime to this guy to follow Him, but this young man wanted it his way. The plate was served to have an eternal relationship with Jesus, but the young man didn’t want to give up what he preferred on his plate to follow Him.

The rich young man walked away sad, and Jesus didn’t chase after him.

I really want us to see something here. Jesus set the standard with his invitation to follow Him. When the young man walked away, Jesus didn’t lower the bar on his teaching about how to receive eternal life. Jesus set the table, and he genuinely wanted this young man to eat with Him by following Him, but He wasn’t about to let His truth be watered down by less commitment than the sacrificial standard.

Following Jesus is the standard. This assumes that you and I are not the ones leading. We are not the ones choosing what we put on our plates.

Jesus is Head Chef. He’s the leader. Not you. Not me.

Pastor Andy Stanley said, “We get to choose whether or not we follow Jesus. We do not get to choose what following Jesus looks like, acts like, and reacts like.”

What Jesus is teaching this young man (and us) is that our religious preferences and lifestyle choices must be sacrificed in order to follow Him alone into eternal life here and beyond the grave. Nothing more can be added. It’s only His way. Period.

Remember, Jesus doesn’t serve buffets.

Jesus’ Lordship Lenses

Over the last few years of working with young adults, I’ve seen a rise in Christians who don’t put on Jesus’ Lordship Lenses when encountering cultural realities and spiritual curiosity. Many are seeing their Christian commitment through the lenses of culture and spiritual popularity rather than looking at the culture through Jesus’ teachings and biblical doctrine.

While I am encouraged by spiritual curiosity, I am disturbed by the lack of Jesus’ Lordship. We have men and women who are following Jesus but are praying with crystals. I’m watching as young men and women, who I’ve baptized, look to horoscopes as their daily guide. And they’re thinking nothing of it. It’s no big deal.

Sound the alarm! We have to see that this is a strategy of Satan.

The enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to convince us that we don’t need Jesus alone to guide us. He deceives us into thinking we can do this life on our own. He wants us to think it’s no big deal to pile all kinds of spirituality on our plates, knowing full well the dangers of opening ourselves up to unknown spiritual influences.

This is nothing new from Satan. This was his scheme with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). This was his strategy with the people of Israel and the infamous golden calf at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). This was his tactic with King Saul when he went to visit a medium (1 Samuel 28). This strategy is a twisted spirituality that is rooted in deceit that eventually wreaks havoc on life itself.

Here’s my point: Jesus is either Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all. Either the Bible and Jesus’ teachings are your source of Truth, or it’s not. If you follow Jesus, you cannot have it both his way and your way. This is why it’s so important to research and know what Jesus said and not just take other people’s word for it.

Regarding cultural spirituality, the Bible strongly warns against engaging in anything related to superstition and the occult. God declares the practice of the occult detestable (Deuteronomy 18:10–12), and witchcraft is named along with idolatry as ungodly behavior (Galatians 5:19–21). The use of crystals as charms, amulets, or healing stones is a type of occult practice, however benign it seems. Anything that seeks to manipulate the spirit world can be categorized as witchcraft.The cultural and superstitious use of crystals and stars is yet another example of fallen mankind taking what God has created and twisting it for an ungodly purpose. Crystals and stars are striking examples of God’s handiwork. There is nothing wrong with using crystals for home décor or wearing them as jewelry, but there is nothing magical about them. Using crystals for protection or healing is, at its root, an idolatrous practice. It is idolatry because it depends on spiritual forces other than God for healing and protection; in other words, it is the worship of something other than God. Idolatry is repeatedly and strongly forbidden in the Bible (Deuteronomy 4:15–20; Jeremiah 44:1–4; 2 Corinthians 6:16–17; 1 Corinthians 10:14–20).

If you have chosen to follow Jesus, then please understand that Jesus doesn’t serve up spiritual buffets. He’s the Head Chef, and you have to eat what He serves. And it’s not because He’s a cosmic killjoy. It’s because He wants to lead you to eternal life both here and now and also protect you from the rotten death that is within that shiny cultural so-called fruit.

Vegetable Christianity

What I love about Jesus is that He loves us and wants the best for us. He wants to see us grow up strong and healthy into the eternal life that He alone can give. To do this, Jesus knows that we must put into practice what He preaches, but He will never force us to do so. He leaves that choice to us, but He knows the outcome. We see this after His most famous Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7.

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” ~ Matthew 7:24-27 ESV

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus served up vegetable teaching. He knew what He was teaching was hard to swallow, but He served it up anyway because He knew how good it is for us to live by. He never forces anyone to eat their vegetables, but He knows it’s the wise person who does what He says.

Jesus doesn’t want your house to come crashing down when the storms of life come. Jesus doesn’t want you to add to His truth because He knows that you’ll sink into the shifting and dangerous sand of cultural spirituality that will not hold up under the storm.

False Cultural Spirituality wants to convince you that dabbling in shifting spiritual buffet lines is more convenient and attractive, when in fact it will eventually cause you to go under.

The real Jesus of the Bible loves you and is good enough to tell you what is best for you and stick to it because He knows what will actually save your life. And if I were you, I’d listen to the One who has the authority and power to give eternal life.

Before you go…

To be honest with you, I have to force myself to eat vegetables. There are only a few vegetables I like (carrots, green beans and broccoli), but there are plenty of vegetables I do not like and have to discipline myself to eat (especially asparagus).

The same is true spiritually. There are a lot of Jesus’ teachings that are hard to swallow and live by. It’s a chore for me to practice them. There are some teachings that I wish didn’t exist, but because I know Jesus loves me and wants the best for me, I eat them anyway because I trust Him, and I’ve declared that He’s the Head Chef of my life, not me.

This is why I need other people in my life to guide me and remind me that Jesus’ teachings and ways are for my good. I’m grateful for the brotherhood that studies God’s word with me and holds me accountable to obeying it. And that’s when I see my life transformed.

If you don’t have this kind of community in your life, I encourage you to get connected to a local Bible-teaching church. If I can help you find one through networking, please don’t hesitate to reach out as we start this new year.

New Year Same Me

by Kent Chevalier

New Year. Same Me. Different date. Same mistakes.Enemy laying siege to my mind. Coming after me and mine.Same strategies. Same punches I’ve been seeing.Over and over the temptations come like a thiefWanting to fight and take me out, I better watch out.I’m never outta God’s sight, but sometimes I’m outta my mindSo I better rewind and remind myself of the collateral damageI better armor up to protect my kids and my wonderful marriagePutting on that Truth suit that sticks to me like crazy glueRenewing my mind with each new dayHearing myself say out loud that God still wins the DayAllowing Him to fight for me and beside meEven though I might feel alone, I remember isolation is just a scheme of the enemyI don’t wanna pretend to be stronger than I amThat’s why I need the brotherhood around me so that I can firmly standAgainst these fiery arrows from the devil’s handHis weapon might be formed, but I know it cannot beat mebecause I’m a blood-bought, forgiven, and protected son of the AlmightySo you can go ahead and be the same you, doing what you always doI’ll be the same me, throwing counterpunches with the strength Christ has given meBring on the fight in this New Year’s first few minutes and hoursAnd I’ll be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

The New Year seems to bring new year’s resolutions. The whole point of False Jesus is to get us into the Bible, the Word of God, for ourselves. Therefore, as we start 2023, I want to introduce you to the best Bible Reading Plan I have found.

Mission:119 is a 91-week journey through the Bible with Pastor John Soper as our guide with a mission to help us hide God’s Word in our hearts.

Here’s how it works: You read the Scriptures for 10 minutes a day and then listen to a 10-minute teaching from Pastor Soper on what you just read. What I love about this Bible reading plan is that it serves up small enough bites that I can attain and chew on throughout the rest of the day. And if you do this for five days a week over 91 weeks (almost 2 years), you’ll read through the entire Bible.

If you want to make a New Year’s Resolution to read the Bible, I highly encourage you to visit mission119.org or download the Mission:119 app to learn more. I also encourage you to grab a couple friends to join with you on the journey for accountability and discussion.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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As I sat down to write this article, I realized that the majority of what I was going to share came from my mentor, Dave Buehring. He’s the one who discipled me in the ways, character, and mission of Jesus, and many of the principles I teach and live by come from the 20-year relationship I’ve had with Dave. He’s the one who taught me to keep my eyes on Jesus and always to test whatever anyone says about God, Christianity, and the Bible, against the Word of God…including him.

I was going to write about the amount of information we have accessible to us today. With the technology that is available, we no longer have to look it up in books or even on the internet. We just speak into the air, “Hey Siri” or “Okay Google” and ask a question, and within .02 seconds, we have an answer or links to thousands of articles full of information for us to absorb.

This is called Information Overload. It’s too much for us to attain. We cannot possibly sift through all the information that is available to us. There is an overwhelming and constant flow of studies, data, ads, and reels that claim they can transform our minds, bodies, and eating habits. When it comes to our spiritual lives, there is an endless stream of sermons, teaching clips, sound bites, and podcasts that promise life change, but the question is…How do you know if any of it is true? Which ones do I trust? Which voice do I listen to?

So, instead of me writing out this process that Dave Buehring taught me, I thought I would just record a candid conversation with him about it.

I hope you enjoy it. Press the above play button ▶️.

Dave Buehring and Lionshare

I always like to point you to organizations that I believe in and trust. I can honestly say that Lionshare has transformed my life, my marriage, my family, and my vocation. I served on their board for six years, and I had the privilege of journeying with Dave Buehring for 20 years.

Lionshare aims to co-mission with Jesus in fulfilling His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) by igniting and equipping disciple makers within the Church and throughout the vocations where believers work. That includes small groups and one-on-one discipling.

Lionshare believes discipleship works best through relationships using a tool that references God’s character, ways, and mission. They provide those tools and train Christians to make disciples wherever they have influence, inside and outside their church.

Lionshare believes Jesus created the blueprint for discipleship by living life with his disciples, teaching them by example, and expecting them to turn around and invest in others. They did, and the world was changed as a result.

For more information and great discipleship resources, visit lionshare.org.

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One of the giant complaints about Christianity and followers of Jesus is that the Church is full of hypocrites. People who do not practice what they preach or live contrary to what they say they believe. Unfortunately, there is a ton of evidence to back this up. From celebrity preachers having “huge” moral failures to every day parents displaying behavior that teaches their kids to do as I say, not as I do.

My personal journey to hypocrisy started as I grew up in a Christian home. My parents took me to church every Sunday morning…every Sunday night…and every Wednesday night. Vacation Bible Schools, sometimes at multiple churches. My parents sent me to church camps every summer. I was that church kid, and I have so many wonderful memories from being in Christian community, but this is also where I witnessed and learned a lot of hypocritical behavior.

The things I overheard and witnessed as a little boy from the men in my church would absolutely shock you. Maybe they didn’t know I was there. Maybe they didn’t think I was listening. Maybe they didn’t think I could understand the “adult” things they were talking about in the church foyer, but here’s what I heard…

Gossip. Slander. Racist remarks. Coarse joking. Obscenities. Sexual innuendos. Just to name a few.

Now here’s the thing…if I did any of those things at home, I wouldn’t have been able to sit down for a week, if you know what I mean. But, I watched as grown Christian men did this on a regular basis in the church building before and after a worship service. So, you can imagine what I saw and overheard outside the walls of the church building at people’s homes, hunting cabins, and church camps where there was a lot of free time.

I don’t mean to bash these men of my childhood church. I’m just telling you what I witnessed because I think this is what most people are referring to when they say they want nothing to do with Christianity because the Church is full of hypocrisy.

From that standpoint, I agree with them and their complaint. I don’t want anything to do with a “do as I say, not as I do” person, but the problem is that I’m unfortunately that guy! I’m the men of my childhood church. I’m a hypocrite! So are you!

If we’re all honest with ourselves, we’re all hypocrites in some way, shape, or form. Christian or not. And in this befuddling comparison game, we all try to justify how our secret hypocrisy is less detremental than how the other guy is displaying his.

Telephone Pole Hypocrisy

In our culture today, we are so good at pointing out other people’s faults. Social media has made it extremely easy and acceptable to slander people. To gossip about people we don’t even know. It’s become so engrained in our pop culture that people no longer realize anymore how hypocritical they are with their keyboards.

Jesus didn’t have social media, but he did confront hypocrisy through the media of his day. He did it in his most famous Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 7.

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." - Matthew 7:1-5 (NLT)

Jesus’ point is that we all have telephone poles in our eyes! We’re all hypocrites! We’re all sinners! We all live with giant hypocritical sin issues in our lives while walking around judging other people’s sin issues like we don’t have any. And I love how Jesus confronts this complaint of Christian hypocrisy and levels the playing field here.

Here’s the point. Hypocrisy is not just a Christian issue. Hypocrisy is a human issue. It’s a sin issue. It’s a natural tendency within all of us, Christian or not.

In this passage, Jesus taught that the buzz saw of hypocritical judgment cuts both ways. When you and I choose to judge others, we automatically condemn ourselves as well. If we are not willing to evaluate ourselves honestly, we will undermine any right to scrutinize the lives of others. Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1-2)

Basically, Jesus said that we have to be extremely careful if we’re going to start calling out the sin and hypocrisy of others if we’re not willing to have them call out our sin and hypocrisy in return. The standard you judge by is the standard you’ll be judged by in return.

No Judgement?

Does this mean that we’re not supposed to judge anyone?

Maybe a better question is this. Do you want the reputation of a judgmental hypocrite? Holiding people to a higher standard than you even hold yourself.

From this passage, I don’t think Jesus has an issue with people judging each other. I think Jesus has a major problem with hypocritcal judgment. I think Jesus takes a massive issue with people who call out the sin in others while refusing to see and confess the sin in their own lives.

A perfect example of this is recorded in John 8.

As Jesus was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” - John 8:3-11 (NLT)

The hypocritcal pharisees dragged this woman before Jesus expecting him to judge her alone, but Jesus ended up judging them all. After all, she wasn’t having sex by herself. Where’s the guy? Why isn’t he there with her?

See what Jesus did? He flipped their standard back on to them.

Through this real life example and going back to what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, was Jesus saying that we cannot judge? No. That’s not what he said.

Jesus taught against a specific kind of judging. The type of judging he spoke against was a blind, ignorant, hypocritical, self-righteous judging that overlooks your own faults, failures and sins and only sees faults, failures and sins in other people. The issue Jesus is going after was the pride that was in a person’s heart which made it easy for them to see other people’s faults, but be blinded to their own. And notice what Jesus called them. Hypocrites.

What’s a hypocrite? A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something that they are not. In the 1st century, plays would often have only one or two actors who would use different masks to play different roles. They would switch their mask to play a different character.

Jesus, being the master teacher, used this as a familiar cultural illustration to address people who wear a mask of religious piety over their heart that was judgmental, critical, and self-righteous toward others.

Jesus wasn’t telling people not to judge. He was telling people not to be a hypocrite when they judged. Not to be on some religious stage actor pretending to be someone they’re not.

How do I know this?

Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had been speaking to a crowd about what true righteousness really looks like. He’d been talking about issues of the heart and what makes a person right before God. This is the importance of knowing the context of Jesus’ teaching. As my seminary professor said, context is king.

Context Is King

You and I both know people who rip this verse out of context and use it to mean that nobody should never judge other people. People use this misinterpreted verse to justify their sinful behavior. Judge not, lest you be judged!

Unfortunately I remember a very confrontational conversation I had with an engaged woman who had asked me to perform her wedding ceremony. The moral and ethical dilemma I faced was that I was aware of a major unresolved and unconfessed sin issue on the part of the woman that her fiancé did not know. I believed that if she did not tell him, and they moved forward with the wedding, that eventually this sin issue would lead to destroying their marriage, so I refused to do the wedding.

I tried to gently confront the woman with what I knew, and she ended up screaming at me, “How dare you judge me? The Bible says you cannot judge, and you call yourself a pastor, a man of God!”

Yes, I judged. I judged this woman’s sinful behavior, but according to what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, was I wrong for doing so?

A couple days later I was then confronted by her fiancé. He asked why I wouldn’t do the wedding. It was not my place to tell him what I knew, but I told him that I had some major red flags about their relationship and suggested they delay their timeline. He left my office very angry thinking that I was an arrogant jerk for not doing their wedding.

My judgment of her unconfessed sin led me to not perform their ceremony and severed my relationship with both of them, and they left the church.

What would you have done? Would you have handled this differently?

To be honest, I questioned for a long time if I did the right thing. Did I make the right judgment call? But that question was answered a couple years after their wedding when the same man came up to me in tears. He told me they were now divorced and that he should have listened to my warning and the warning of others who cared about him.

My heart broke for him.

Wrong Ways to Judge

According to this passage, Jesus did not say that we should never judge. He was taking issue against a particular kind of wrong judgment. People having a critical, condemning, self-righteous attitude toward other people. That pompous posture of looking down from the stage onto others because you’ve got it all together and they don’t.

I think that when people say that they don’t want anything to do with the judgmental hypocrisy of Christianity, Jesus would agree with them. Jesus made it clear that there are wrong ways to judge people.

Superficial judgment is wrong. Passing judgment on someone based solely on outward appearances is wrong (John 7:24). A Pharisee named Simon passed judgment on a woman based on her appearance and reputation, but he never considered that the woman had been forgiven. Jesus rebuked him for unrighteous judgment (Luke 7:36-50).

Self-righteous judgment is wrong. As followers of Jesus, we are called to humility, and we know that “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6). The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable of the praying Pharisee and the tax collector, was confident in his own righteousness, and from that proud position he prayerfully judged everyone else, but we learn that God judged his heart and refused to justify the Pharisee’s sin (Luke 18:9-14).

Harsh and unforgiving judgment is wrong. We are “always to be gentle toward everyone” according to Titus 3:2. Jesus taught it is the merciful who will be shown mercy in Matthew 5:7, and, as Jesus warned, “In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).

According to Jesus, there are wrong ways to judge.

A Right Way to Judge

In the same way that Jesus taught there was a wrong way to judge, he also gave us a right way to judge in this passage. He taught us to cut the telephone pole out of our eye first and then help remove the sawdust in our friends’ eyes.

This means that as followers of Jesus, we are called to help other Christians who become entangled in sin. The Apostle Paul said, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path” (Galatains 6:1). But before we can help a fellow brother or sister onto the right path—before we can remove the splinter from their eye—Jesus is saying and modeling we must first deal honestly with our own telephone pole of sin.

Going back to my childhood church foyer, some guy should have been man enough to gently call out the hypocritical behavior that I witnessed as a kid. Not because any guy was better than anybody else, but because that type of sinful behavior is not standard for a follower of Christ. As Christian brothers, we should hold each other accountable to the standard that Jesus sets for us.

Accountable to the standard.

Maybe that’s a better way to say it. That’s what judges are supposed to do, right? They hold us accountable to the standard set by the law. Whenever that standard is not met or fallen short of, a judge holds us accountable.

If you choose to break the speed limit, a police officer has the right and authority to write you a ticket which forces you to pay a fine. The standard, held up by the officer, holds you accountable for your actions.

So, when you and I see someone falling short of the standard that Jesus has set for his followers, we should gently and humbly call it out and call them up into who they should be in Christ.

We shouldn’t let gossip run rampant out of a Christian’s mouth. We should stop it.

We shouldn’t let someone make racist remarks in our presence. We should end it.

We shouldn’t let someone slander another person. We should call it out.

Call the sin out and call them up to the Jesus standard.

That is not Christian hypocrisy. That is not pious judgmentalism. That is properly judging behavior according to Jesus’ standard and holding a Christian brother accountable to that standard that I also hold myself accountable to as well.

The BIG Issue

However, where I think we get into big trouble, as people of Jesus’ Church, is when we try to hold people who are not part of the Church accountable to something they never agreed to be held accountable to in the first place.

That is not our job. That is God’s job. Dear Christian, please hear me. Our job is to love God and love that person. Our job is not to hold accountable those who are not a part of the family of God.

That would be like me trying to hold someone else’s kid accountable to my family rules at their dinner table.

If a person has never submitted their life to Jesus and made him the leader of their life, Christians (you and I) don’t have the family right to hold them accountable to the standard of following Jesus.

Does that mean I don’t model Jesus’ way in front of them? No. Does that mean I don’t lovingly share the truth of God’s word in that situation? No. Does that mean I cross the line of sin with them to win them over? No. I gently and lovingly say, I cannot participate in that because that’s not what God wants for me and then flee from that temptation.

That’s not judgmental hypocrisy. That’s proper judgment. That’s loving judgment for you and them. That’s standing up for how Jesus said we should live, but we don’t have to be jerks about it with those who do not follow Jesus.

Nobody likes a judgmental jerk.

I don’t believe most people have an issue with Christians who follow Jesus’ standard. However, I do believe that people have an issue with the hypocritical and judgmental jerks who yell at them in their homes, at school, and on their social media platforms. I think most people realize that we’re all hypocrites in some way, shape, or form, but the issue is when you pretend you’re not one of them while preaching that they are.

If we learn anything from these passages today, it’s this: The real Jesus called out hypocritical judgmentalism, and He called us up into a better way of living with and loving our friends.

Before You Go…

If you’ve been with me on this journey of ‘False Jesus’, you know that I often say that you shouldn’t take my word for it, but you should always take God’s word for it. You should always test what I say according to the Bible. Why?

Because I struggle with being a hypocrite, just like you. But Jesus was not. He perfectly lived what he preached 100% of the time. He’s the standard, and while I want to live my life to honor him, I still fall short. Just ask my wife and daugthers.

No Christian is going to get this right 100% of the time. No pastor. No youth group leader. No parent. No one.

Maybe you’ve been hurt by someone in the Church. Maybe a pastor used you and your family. Maybe a Christian friend gossiped about you and the rumors wounded you. Maybe someone’s hypocrisy has led you to deconstruct your Christian faith and leave the Church.

I get it. And I’m sorry.

This is why my goal with ‘False Jesus’ is to keep bringing us back to the life and words of the Jesus. Unfortunately, because we’re all hypocrites, our behavior has marred an accurate image of who Jesus is and what he’s all about.

My encouragement to all of us who have been hurt by hypocrisy and pious judmentalism, is to keep our eyes on the real Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible.

Damaging Christianity

by Kent Chevalier

*I wrote this on 11/30/2020, the day after my brother, JH, died from Covid.

I don’t want to be a Christian or a pastor right now. Now hear me out before you give me that scowl. I have not lost my faith in Jesus, but I did just lose my brother. And I am feeling very smothered. There’s this unspoken self-inflicted pressure I feel And you know I’ve always tried my best to keep it real So might as well go public now that I’m in the fire With this stranger named grief, I can sense danger Of the unknown inside of me that will somehow leak out These complex hidden enemies that will try to sneak out This is not about perfection or image management I could not care less of what you think about Kent I’m a liar, I do. But honestly here’s my heart I’m a steward of Jesus’ name and reputation, not mine. I’ll have to prove that to myself and you over time. I’m a grace-saved sinner, and you know I’m not perfect I’ve never made a claim that even comes close to that But I do worry over the next few weeks and days That what’s squeezed out of me in grief could do damage in ways I can’t even know or even protect you or myself from Triggered by emotions that are leaving me numb All I want to do is enhance God’s reputation in your eyes To have you experience what I have with mine It’s not my burden to carry, I fully understand, but that’s the secret pressure I put myself under When I gave my life to Jesus, I surrendered Not wanting to damage authentic Christianity To say and do all the right things to make you believe me But I have to start releasing the pressure, I must Leave it all up to God, it’s in Him that I trust Trust in Him too, I’ll never stop preaching that you should Even in the midst of tragedy, know my God is good.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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False Jesus is my personal campaign to explore cultural misconceptions about Jesus and Christianity. Sometimes the misconceptions are new thoughts and ideas presented by current cultural trends, but most of the time, as King Solomon once said, there’s nothing new under the sun. It just might be packaged a little bit differently.

The question that we’re going to discuss today is a 2,000-year-old question that is still being asked.

Is Jesus Christ really God?

This is a huge question that we have to wrestle to the ground. I’m obviously only going to scratch the surface in this short podcast/newsletter. The answer to this question has massive implications for your life and mine regardless of if we choose to answer it. But I’ll give you a little hint. If you choose not to answer the question, you’re actually answering it.

History has wrestled with this question ever since the day Jesus was born. Even when he was in his mother’s womb. Different religions land on opposite sides when it comes to answering this question. Some say he was God. Some say he was a prophet of God. Some say he was an excellent teacher of Jewish Law with a unique rabbinic teaching method. Some say that he was just a good moral teacher. And still, some just don’t care.

The jury was definitely out during Jesus’ short time on earth. Only a couple called him a son. Some called him brother. Some called him a king, and one king tried to have him killed as a baby before Jesus could even speak a word. Some called him rabbi and followed him. Some even called him the Messiah. Some of the religious leaders called him a blasphemer while the Roman executioner, who was present at his crucifixion, said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54)

History has said many different things about Jesus. But what I want to ask today is… What did Jesus say about himself?

This is the goal of this False Jesus campaign. I don’t want you to take my word for it. I don’t want you to take history’s word for it. I want you to deeply consider what God said about Jesus. I want you to take the word of those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and ministry. I want you to take Jesus’ word for it.

Jesus made some massive claims about himself, and I will pull these apart in future episodes of False Jesus. For time’s sake, I’m going to list seven things Jesus said about himself and what he claimed to be true. Please understand that this is not an exhaustive list, and I would love for you to make the time to dig into the Bible passages where these claims are found. Again, don’t just take my word for it. Take Jesus’ word for it!

Jesus Claims…

• He came from Heaven (John 6:35-38).

• He has the power to perform miracles (John 10:36-39).

• He was sinless (John 8:45-47).

• He has the authority to forgive sin (Mark 2:5-7).

• He would die and come back to life (Mark 8:31).

• He is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6).

• He is God (John 10:30-33).

Those are seven massive claims with eternal impact. Seven statements from Jesus himself that have huge implications for your life and mine…if they are true. Either these claims are true, or they’re not.

Do you believe these claims from Jesus are true? Do you believe Jesus came down from Heaven? Do you believe that Jesus has the power to perform miracles? That he was sinless? That he has the authority to forgive sin? Do you believe that Jesus died and came back to life? Do you believe that he’s the only way you’re getting to heaven? And do you believe that Jesus Christ is God?

You cannot believe one without believing the others. Either all these claims are true or none of them are true because these claims are tied to the person who’s making them.

C.S. Lewis

Is Jesus God?

C.S. Lewis answered this question with a profound statement that has stuck with me ever since reading his book, Mere Christianity.

Before I tell you what he said, let me tell you a little bit about C.S. Lewis.

“Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement.”

“Lewis wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. C. S. Lewis’s most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics in The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.” (taken from cslewis.com)

I wanted to give you a little bit of C.S. Lewis’ resume to show you how brilliant this dude was. Many times when I read his books, I have to stop and re-read what he meant, but this quote made so much sense to me, and it has had such an impact on my life that here I am 25 years later sharing it with you.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (Mere Christianity)

C.S. Lewis answered the “Is Jesus God?” question with a profound statement. He’s either a liar, a lunatic, or he is Lord!”

In my current role as an NFL Chaplain, I open up every new football season of Bible Studies, Chapels, and spiritual conversations with this question. Was Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or was he legit? I use the word “legit” because the word “Lord” can be confusing since we don’t talk that way today, and I have to unpack what that means.

I’ll say to the guys on the team…if Jesus is legit, then your answer to that question bears a massive weight. According to Jesus, your answer has eternal consequences. We have to make the decision as to which one we believe. We cannot be wishy-washy about it. We cannot ignore the question. Why?

Because if Jesus’ claims are indeed true, and he is God (Lord, Supreme Ruler, Creator, and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible), then the answer to this question has massive implications for our next life. I’m talking about life after death. The afterlife…something we’re all going to experience. How we respond to this Jesus question in this current life, determines our destination and existence in the next life, if what Jesus said is true.

Massive Claims, Massive Implications

John 14 records an incredible conversation between Jesus and his closest disciples where Jesus makes some of these massive claims. Jesus (during what we now call the Last Supper) had just predicted his death and resurrection. He was letting them know…you’re going to see me die, but don’t worry…three days later I’m coming back to life! He goes on to basically say, I’m going back to Heaven to be with God my Father, but don’t worry, I’ll be back.

Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! (John 14:1-9)

So here we have Jesus’ massive claim, as God in the flesh, to be the exclusive gateway to Heaven. Jesus said, I am the way! Nobody can experience Heaven unless you go through me. He’s saying that there’s only one way.

As you hear Jesus make that claim, you’re either comforted or concerned. Comforted because you believe in and follow Jesus. You’ve placed your trust and faith in Jesus. You have a relationship with God through the gatekeeper, Jesus. You’re comforted because loved ones who have died, also believed in and followed Jesus, and they’re in Heaven with God. You are comforted.

But some of you are concerned right now.

What if this claim is true? Then that potentially means that loved ones, who didn’t believe in and follow Jesus in this life, are not in Heaven with God in the afterlife. And that’s not a pleasant thought for any of us. You might be concerned right now because you’re not sure if you believe this and are worried about the validity of Jesus’ claim and it’s implications on your afterlife experience.

Everybody wants to go to Heaven. Nobody wants to go to Hell in the afterlife. Everyone wants to believe that their loved one who died is in Heaven. And if what Jesus is saying is true, we owe it to ourselves to examine the Gatekeeper. This is what C.S. Lewis was trying to alert his readers about.

Is Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or was he legit?

When you answer that one question, it automatically leads you to more questions. For instance…

If Jesus was lying, then how are you and I getting to Heaven in the afterlife? What must we do to get a seat at the table? Who determines who gets in? If Jesus was lying, then how was the tomb empty? If Jesus was lying, then why are there records of him being seen alive by over 500 people after he was crucified? If Jesus was lying, there’s a rabbit hole of questions that should deeply concern us that we simply cannot ignore.

If Jesus was a lunatic, then what hope do we have when it comes to God and Heaven? And think about Jesus’ life. Why would a crazy person lead people to radically love and serve others to the point of his own death for that cause? If Jesus was crazy, then hundreds of millions of people throughout 2,000+ years deserve our pity.

But what if Jesus is legit? If he is God, who he said he is, then we at least owe it to ourselves to look into his massive claims. We owe it to our future generations to read about Jesus, to discover what he taught, and come to a conclusion on our own.

If Jesus is wrong, then what have you lost? Nothing except a little bit of time.

If Jesus is right, then what have you lost? Everything for an eternity.

Before you go…

It seems logical to me that you would investigate Jesus and the claims he made. I want to encourage you to do the research. Do the study. You owe it to yourself.

It wasn’t until I began to read the Bible for myself that I discovered some of the things I had been taught about Jesus were simply not true. It wasn’t until I researched Jesus for myself that I stumbled upon some of these massive claims and their implications for my life and the afterlife. I didn’t know them until I dug into them for myself.

The reason I’m doing this podcast/newsletter is to alert people that there’s a good possibility that you’ve made your decision to this “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?” question based on a False Jesus. Based on someone else’s word for it. Based on someone elses’ opinion. Based on ignorance. And I am going to do everything I can to help point people to the real Jesus and what he said and what eyewitnesses said about him.

Please, don’t take my word for it. Take God’s word for it and then make your decision.

The Jesus Decision

by Kent Chevalier

Was Jesus a liar? A lunatic? Or was he legit? Before you answer this question, you have to feel the weight of it. Know that he wasn’t messin’ around with only that night in mind He was looking deeper, further beyond to your next life and mine When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane sweatin’ blood from his brow, You were on his mind and his heart somehow, both then and now We have to see the bigger picture that Jesus was introducing The void between us and God that our sin is constantly producing And Jesus claimed that he could bridge that life and death gap As the sinless savior, he sat…silent before his accusers He willingly took the insults and lashes and then was crucified by so many abusers If Jesus was a liar, then I need to retire while many admire And think that he was nothing more than a good moral teacher He can’t possibly be good and make those claims if they are not true That makes him crazy and so are you if you believe this pretend king If he was lying then he was dying as a mad man striving To make sense of the evil thoughts in his heart and mind So we simply cannot call this teacher good if what he claimed was not legit It’s so simple, can we not see the logic of it? He’s only one of the three, nothing more, nothing less He’s either Lord or a liar, or this man’s mind was a mess. You have to make your choice, and I have made mine. Don’t let somebody else make it for you, but make sure you don’t run out of time. As for me…I’m gonna go out on a faith limb and follow this God King. The one who historically died and came back to life, just like he was predicting. The guy who calls his shot with something like the resurrection And legitimately pulls it off with eyewitnesses, not pretendin’. Is worthy of my trust and at least my attention. He practiced what he preached, and He lived true to his word. That’s why I follow Jesus. That’s why I call him my Lord. So, what about you? What’s your choice in this Jesus matter? You can’t ignore it and sweep it under the rug like your answer doesn’t matter. If what Jesus claimed is actually true, I have a decision to make, and so do you.

If you haven’t seen or heard of this yet, I’m excited to introduce you to the “He Gets Us” campaign. He Gets Us aims to FREE THE NAME OF JESUS from those who judge, harm, and divide. I absolutely love the vision and mission and the people behind this campaign.

He Gets Us does not represent any church or religious denomination and is not a political organization. It is a campaign designed to create cultural change in the way people think about Jesus and his relevance in our lives. This is exactly what I’m trying to do with False Jesus!

It all started with a diverse group of people passionate about the authentic Jesus of the Bible. He Gets Us is an initiative of Servant Foundation, a designated 501c3 organization with a 100/100 Charity Navigator rating.

They’re not “Left” or “Right”. They’re not affiliated with any church or denomination. They simply want everyone to understand and relate to the authentic Jesus as he’s depicted in the Bible — the Jesus of radical forgiveness, compassion, and love.

This is about getting to know the real Jesus. If you’re interested in learning more about He Gets Us, then visit their website at hegetsus.com and be on the lookout for this campaign at major sporting events in the near future.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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Let me start by saying that I’m guilty of what I’m about to write. However, in the last few years and months, God has been convicting me of my motives.

Since the epic rise of social media, the serving and volunteer work of churches, non-profits and businesses has been blasted across our feeds. It’s not a new concept, but it’s in our faces now more than ever. There are livestreams and Instagram posts of churches serving public schools and doing neighborhood prayer walks. Businesses are making commercials to show their community service with their logo watermarked in the corner of the screen throughout. Non-profits are highlighting the clients they’re helping while flashing statistics that conclude with their giving link or website.

I am struggling with this public display of serving. Most of us would look at this and think it’s great. I do too, but I also question my and their motives.

Our culture has fed the desire to let everyone know how good we are by making it normal to post our good deeds online. After all, did anything happen if it’s not posted on social media? Like the fallen tree that does or doesn’t make a sound if no one is around to hear it, did serving really take place if no one is there to see it happen?

What are the motives of people posting their serving and good deeds?

Jesus preached a famous sermon on this very topic. In what is now referred to as the ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ Jesus said,

"Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

If you ever wonder if the Bible is relevant to your life today, this is another good example of the living nature of God’s word. This teaching is as relevant today as it was when Jesus originally spoke these words.

Two People. Two Rewards.

Jesus refers to two types of people and two different rewards.

Jesus said don’t be like the trumpet-blowing hypocrites. Ouch! Consider me Miles Davis. I’m that guy! My guess is that you are in that group too or you know someone who fits Jesus’ description here. A “look at me doing a good deed” hypocrite. A “get in the picture while we are on a mission trip” hypocrite. A “capture this moment for the website” hypocrite. That’s been me.

I don’t want to be that guy anymore. This is where God has been working on my motives. My heart. My perspective. I didn’t even realize that I was doing it, or maybe I did, but I still wanted people to see me doing the things that Jesus said to do in secret. I can be a good actor (which is what hypocrite means).

In the past, I’ve even convinced myself that posting or talking about my good deeds was the right thing to do to invite others to join me on the serving journey. If I give of my finances to meet the needs of others, and I invite people to join me, then they will catch the generosity bug. If I know the right thing to do is lead a servanthood lifestyle, it’s a good discipleship step to invite people to take the first step to serve.

As a pastor, I think there’s some evidence for imitation-based preaching when the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to “be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (see 1 Corinthians 11:1) This is a good discipleship strategy. I serve, and you watch. I invite you to serve with me. You serve, and I cheer you on. You invite others to serve with you. Serving is taught and caught in discipleship.

However, I struggle with the fine line of leading by example and Jesus’ straightforward teaching about secrecy here. He really leans in on the motive of the heart when he said that all of the Louis Armstrong Christians have already received their reward. Recognition of others. More business. The applause of men. Social media followers. Funds raised. These aren’t necessarily bad rewards, but Jesus makes it easy to understand that all of these fall short of the second reward.

Jesus is clear. Don’t be the hypocrite who only serves for the claps of the crowd.

Be A Secret Server

Jesus said to be a secret server. Be a quiet giver. He went so far as to say don’t even let your left hand know what your right hand is giving.

Do Jesus’ words “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” mean we should never let others know? Not necessarily. The focus is on the motive.

Our serving and generosity are to be motivated by our love for God and our focus on eternity rather than the temporary praise of people. Because of the temptation for pride that comes with public displays of serving and generosity, it is best not to draw attention to ourselves and our gifts to those in need.

Jesus never asked his followers to do something he didn’t do himself.

After healing a man of leprosy (a life-threatening skin disease), "Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ’see that you don’t tell this to anyone...'" (Mark 1:41-44). From our way of thinking, it would seem that Jesus would want everyone to know about the miracle and how he served this man, but Jesus knew that the publicity might hinder His divine mission and divert public attention from His overall message. Mark records that this is exactly what happened. In this man’s excitement over his being miraculously healed, he disobeyed Jesus’ command. As a result, Jesus had to move His ministry away from that city and into the desert regions. “Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.” (Mark 1:45)

There’s something so attractive about Jesus when he chose to serve this man without drawing attention to himself. Jesus wanted this man to keep his miraculous healing a secret. Jesus modeled a different motive for serving. Jesus was after a different reward.

What is the second reward? Jesus is not really specific in this text, but you get the sense that it’s much better than the fleeting accolades and temporary recognition.

This is why it’s so important to allow the Bible to interpret the Bible in the context of the entire narrative. In an earlier section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to the motives of our hearts and this reward. Jesus said (recorded in Matthew 5)…

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

There it is. The reward is the glory of God. The reward is pointing people to God. The reward is watching people praise God. The reward is God Himself.

I have seen this reward firsthand multiple times. I want to share two accounts that happened to me and my family that caused us to experience this reward Jesus is talking about.

Beaver County Kid

When I was a kid growing up in the 80s in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, my parents struggled to make ends meet. My dad lost his job when the steel industry collapsed, and he was out of solid work for a long time. During that season of struggle, I remember standing in line with my mom to get a box of non-perishable food items and food stamps from the local food bank. My dad drove a school bus and worked odd jobs while my mom babysat to help pay the bills, but there were many times when they came up short.

I’ll never forget two times when someone secretly served my family.

I could sense the stress of my parents. The bills were coming, and they were forced to make a choice. Pay the bills or feed us. We walked out onto our front porch, and there was a box of groceries. No note. No name. Just a box with a lot of food. We were all shocked, and my parents were able to pay the bills that month. As a discipleship lesson, my dad said, “Son, always remember this. God provides for His children.”

Another similar moment a few months later is seared into my memory. Again my parents were short on cash to pay the bills. My dad went to our white wagon-wheel mailbox to get the mail after work, and I watched him open an envelope and cry. He came inside to show me and my family a white envelope with the exact amount of cash my parents needed to pay the bills that month. No note. No name. All cash. My dad reiterated the discipleship lesson. “Son, when God guides, He always provides.”

I’ve always wondered who did that for us, but without a doubt, I’ve always connected those miracles back to God.

That is what secret serving does. No name. No note. But a box and envelope full of God’s glory. No one got the credit except for God. No one got the praise but God. No one (still to this day) received the glory but God. Here I am 35-40 years later recounting the goodness and faithfulness of God, and I still don’t know who did that for us. However, there will be a day when that person or those people who secretly served us will receive their reward from God. Maybe they already have. Maybe it was a neighbor. Maybe it was someone from our church. Who knows?

God does, and Jesus said they will be rewarded for their secret serving and secret generosity. We all want to know what the reward is, but that’s the mysterious beauty of secret serving. God surprises us.

Reward Me, God!

God does not always define reward the same way you and I do. When we think of God rewarding us for obeying His commands and doing life His way, we usually think of tangible, material goodies. Like a dog receiving a treat for doing the trick, we expect a reward now for serving. But God has something so much better in store for us…relationship, eternal life, and eternal rewards in mind that are beyond our imaginations. And not just a relationship with us or eternity for us. Jesus said that we shine our lights so that others will be in a relationship with God and give glory to God.

The heavenly reward is not even about you or me. The reward is God. For you and for others. That’s why we secretly serve. To give God glory.

The reward is not followers or funds raised. The reward is not brand recognition. The reward is not higher attendance in the Sunday service. The reward is not even that warm and fuzzy feeling we get when we serve.

The reward is God Himself. People are drawn to Jesus. You coming closer to God because you look more like Jesus when you serve in secret.

God’s been taking me to school on this. Like I said at the beginning, I have been the ‘Dizzy Gillespie’ of public displays of serving in my preaching and social media posts, but I want to get better at following Jesus’ instructions. I want to get better at secret serving.

I’m not going to get this right all the time, but I want to be the guy who reflects God’s glory by shining Jesus’ light that’s inside me. I also want to be the guy who deflects the glory that doesn’t belong to me. I want to put the spotlight on the King of Glory, and his name is Jesus.

Jesus made it clear that we can increase God’s glory by serving and giving in secret.

Oh, man…that’s a good line…I think I’m going to post it. 😉

Before You Go…

I want to invite you to go on a secret serving journey with me. What if we practiced serving as Jesus did? Not drawing attention to ourselves, but keeping the focus on God and the person we’re serving. I think it will be a fun experiment. It will be good to practice what we’ve just talked about. I want to give you a few ways to walk this out.

Try this idea. Serve someone this week without them knowing and watch what happens in you and in them. Work hard at not revealing that it was you.

Here’s another idea. The next time you’re tempted to post a good deed, don’t do it and see what happens inside you and the others you served. Really pay attention to how this makes you feel. Fight the urge to tell others.

Here’s another fun idea. Invite your family to think of ways you can secretly serve a neighbor, or Invite a co-worker to secretly serve another co-worker and watch what happens. My guess is that you’ll have way too much fun!

OK…last idea. If you know someone who is financially struggling right now, ask God to bring an amount to your mind that you could put into an envelope. Figure out a way to secretly deliver it to them. Be careful of those Ring doorbells. People are always watching, and you might end up on video.

I’m excited for you to try this. Have fun secret serving. God bless!

Breathe Deep

by Kent Chevalier

Breathe deep. Heavy chest. Absorb the news. Choose to rest. Bow down. Get low. Focus on what you know. God is present. God is near. God’s healing will persevere. Give worry away. Throw anxiety aside. Fall on your knees. Faith arise. Not forgotten. Not alone. Every need is known by your Savior, your Creator Interceding Miracle-Maker Let Him work. Let Him lead. God sees your mustard seed. Breathe deep. Heavy chest. Absorb Hope. Find rest.

Light of Life Rescue Mission

Since 1952, Light of Life Rescue Mission has been a place where hope and healing meet. They transform lives in Pittsburgh through the love of Christ by providing food, shelter, and hope to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction to restore them as healthy members of our community.

Light of Life is celebrating 70 years of serving the city of Pittsburgh. You can serve in multiple ways and various programs by getting involved via their website, lightoflife.org.

I invite you to come to something with me on October 14th. Light of Life’s “More Than A Meal” Gala & Fundraiser is an incredible way to help raise funds for this incredible ministry on the Northside of Pittsburgh. You can register and purchase tickets at lightoflife.org/gala. If you can’t make it, no problem. You can still give to the mission.

I hope to see you there!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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I often feel caught in the middle. Do you like Coke or Pepsi? Both. Are you a Marvel or DC movie guy? All of them. Are you a Democrat or a Republican? Neither. Are you Pro-Choice or Pro-Life? Yes, but first we have to define what we mean by these massive labels. Are you a Calvinist or an Arminian? Um…let me tell you a story.

I remember my first Bible class in college where I began to understand that people were going to force me to choose sides. The teaching assistant said, “All of you who believe in ‘Predestination’ go to this side of the room. All of you who believe in ‘Free Will’ go to that side of the room. All of you who are not sure stay in the middle.”

I was confused because I didn’t know what he meant. I hadn’t been a Christian that long. Even though I grew up going to church services on Sundays, youth group on Wednesdays, and summer church camps, it was only a few weeks before this class when I surrendered my life to actually following Jesus. I knew my parent’s Christian rules and some Bible stories, but I didn’t know fully what these loaded terms indicated about a theological position. To be honest, I didn’t even know I was supposed to have one, or what theology even was.

I was embarrassed because I didn’t know what these terms meant. I had an insecurity that I was stupid because I struggled to get good grades and got very low scores on my SATs, and this exercise did not help that one bit. I had friends going to one side and friends going to the other, and I wondered if they would see through my ignorance and secretly make fun of me.

Once the teaching assistant got through the entire class explaining these terms and hearing a few students from either side passionately defending their positions, he then said to the students in the middle, “Now that you’ve heard each side argue their position, get up and choose a side.” That’s when I got mad.

I refused to choose a side.

I stayed in the middle. I cannot remember if anybody else did, but I felt all alone. The teaching assistant was in the front of the room. Students were on either side of the room. All of them were staring at me in the middle. I was mad that I was put in this position. I was angry that any of us were put in this position as if these were the only two options on the theological table.

The problem was that I didn’t know enough about Christianity to wax an incredible apologetic for my stance in the middle. However, I knew that I wasn’t going to be forced to choose a side that I didn’t know enough about because one thing I did know was that I wasn’t going to follow the crowd anymore because following the crowd in middle school and high school usually got me hurt or in trouble.

I stood up from that lonely middle seat. I gathered my things and left class. Confused. Embarrassed. Mad.

And I got a zero for class participation that day. God bless our education system!

The Radical Middle

Why must everything be either this or that in our culture? Does it always have to be black or white? Is there any room for grey? Why do we accept that life comes in cookie-cutter cultural, religious, and political divisions? Is there not a third or fourth option? Isn’t there another way than always having to choose between the two media-driven opposing sides constantly presented to us?

The older I get, and the more I study the Bible and the ministry of Jesus, the more I realize that Jesus stood in The Radical Middle within the complexities of these cultural menu options.

Jesus had this ability to point to a different option that usually enraged or confused “both sides” of his day. Much of Jesus’ teachings ticked off religious people, but so-called “sinners” loved Him and were drawn to Him. At other points in his ministry, Jesus won the heart of a powerful religious leader through a beautiful conversation under the cover of darkness. Then you see that Jesus won the heart of a ruthless political leader by saying nothing at all, making it hard for him to take a stand publicly against Jesus because he knew he was innocent of all charges. Clearly, there was something radically different about Jesus and His teachings amidst these so-called sides that He decided to stand for amidst the palpable cultural tension.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus was wishy-washy. Jesus did not try to please both sides by tickling ears with safe truth that everybody would agree with by shooting the gap. In fact, Jesus often confounded his own followers with a bold new way.

The Kingdom of God way. Often the upside-down way. The contrary to popular belief way. The first will be last and the last will be the first way. The love your enemies way.

Jesus introduced, taught, and modeled The Kingdom Way. When his disciples recognized that Jesus had this X Factor when it came to his relationship with God, they asked him to teach them how to communicate with God as he did.

Jesus taught his followers to pray (recorded in Matthew 6:9-10), “Our father in heaven. Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This not only was a radical way to pray by addressing God as their Abba Father (meaning their heavenly daddy, and intimate term), but Jesus was also introducing a new and better way to live above the cultural tension and extremes. While living in the strain of a broken world, Jesus brought forth a new perspective of God’s perfect way.

This Kingdom Way often landed Jesus in the Radical Middle. Sometimes all alone with no one really understanding. Sometimes taking both sides and moving them towards each other in love and respect. Sometimes teaching both wrong sides to look up to God’s perspective on a matter. Often blowing people’s minds with his powerful teaching.

For instance, recorded in Mark 12:13-17…

The leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply completely amazed them. - Mark 12:13-17 NLT

They tried to trap Jesus into taking a side, and he stood in the radical middle and taught The Kingdom Way. They wanted a black OR white answer, and Jesus gave them a black AND white answer that they didn’t have a category for. Caesar AND God. And not or.

If we tried to practice this, our world would be a much better place!

The Kingdom Way

Recently I was at Cru 22, a conference for missionaries on staff with Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ). If you didn’t know this, my wife and I are full-time missionaries with one of Cru’s ministries, Athletes in Action.

One of the main sessions was taught by Daryl Smith, Cru’s Director of Oneness in Diversity. His message was titled The Kingdom Way. In it, he spoke about how the last three years with Covid, the culture of racism, and the political turmoil, how many Christians are taking sides and fighting about…everything! Not only are we fighting those who are not Christians over a gammet of cultural and political issues, but it seems like we’re fighting each other more than ever.

Two quotes from his talk are still ringing in my ears.

Daryl said, “The Kingdom Way is always a posture of humility and brokenness.” This must be something that God is trying to get my attention on because I wrote about this in a previous False Jesus newsletter.

Daryl also said, “The Kingdom Way is about attracting people to the Kingdom instead of attacking people who are not a part of the Kingdom.” I’ve been chewing on this concept for two weeks since hearing it.

Attracting not attacking.

In Mark 12, Jesus knew these religious leaders were trying to trap him into taking one side or the other. Somehow in his brilliance, Jesus took both sides by teaching a new way, and his attackers ended up being attracted by his radical middle response. This didn’t mean that Jesus agreed with them or they with him, but they left in awe realizing there was something amazing about Jesus. Attracted not attacked.

A sad reality is that the world thinks Christians (followers of Jesus) are great at attacking people for not being on their side. At the same time, the watching world sees that Christians are also great at attacking other Christians who are supposedly on the same side.

It’s Time For Change

This has to change.

The only way this will change is by Daryl’s other quote and what God has been trying to get through to me. This side choosing without even trying to understand the other side, the in-fighting and theological assuming can change by humbling ourselves, admitting our brokenness, and inviting God to reveal His way, the Kingdom Way into all of the sides. Therefore standing in the radical middle called the Kingdom Way.

I fear that the watching world will look at the extreme sides of Christianity that make the nightly news. The so-called Christians who bomb abortion clinics in the name of their pro-life Jesus or violently storm the U.S. capitol with “Jesus Saves” banners. The so-called Jesus followers who justify the sin of racism with a few verses about submission without knowing the context. For whatever reason, these are the dark sides of Christianity that get the most press.

This is why I’m so passionate about introducing people to the real Jesus. Most of the time, the Jesus in the press or your social media feed is a False Jesus. A proselytizing political side chooser. A marred version of Jesus that has never actually talked to the other side to understand their story and reason for choosing that side. The Jesus you get in most side-filtered media is at best a tainted portrayal an already biased Jesus with zero ability to even hear, let alone love, the other side.

The real Jesus, the One who can only be found in the pages of the Bible, showed us a new and better option when it comes to choosing sides. He taught his daddy’s new and loving way, The Kingdom Way filled with grace and truth. And that’s why both sides called him a radical.

Before you go…

If you’ve walked away from the real Jesus because of a harmful and arrogant portrayal of Christianity by one of his followers, I want you to understand that I get it. I almost did too. As a guy who grew up in the church and led a hypoctrical life, I bet I’ve been one of those people who misrepresented Christianity without sometimes even realizing it, and I’m sorry for that. I’m a broken guy still trying to figure out how to follow Jesus into the radical middle.

It’s been 27 years since my first Bible class. Since then I’ve seen the beautiful side of Christianity, and unfortunately I’ve seen the nasty underbelly of the church. I’m especially sorry for the version of our faith that screams without ever listening. I’m sorry for the position pushers who forget to love amidst making their point. I’m sorry for the awful images of a false version of Christianity that our culture has used to disqualify the real Jesus. It shouldn’t be that way.

If that’s your view of Jesus and Christianity, I hope that you’ll consider reading the Gospels in the Bible. There you’ll see how the real Jesus confronted cultural divisions and navigated complex theological stances with both grace and truth.

My prayer is that we can all meet Jesus in the radical middle by following his Kingdom Way.

God bless.

A Busy Month at Training Camp

As you know I typically have a creative piece and something I’d like to invite you to join with me, but I’m at training camp right now, and I didn’t have time to put it together for this newsletter. Thanks for understanding!

Catch you next time…

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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With every fantasy football season, I have to name my new team. I usually try to come up with a name that has a deeper or double meaning. For instance, to honor my big brother the season after he died from Covid, I named my team “Lil’ Box Truck” because he had named his team “Big Box Truck” a decade earlier in the league because of an inside joke. Another year I named my team “Enter the Dragon” based on my favorite Bruce Lee movie. Another season I named my team “Sodapopinski” based on my favorite character to fight in the Nintendo game, Mike Tyson’s Punchout.

This year I have named my fantasy team “Pride.”

I have always loved lions! Their strength and power. The sound of their roar. Their size and speed. How they work together as a team to hunt and protect their own. How their presence alone scatters their enemies and wannabe predators. Yes, I’m that guy who cannot look away from a National Geographic video of a lion chasing down its prey and then eating its victory dinner with a blood-stained face. There’s something so powerful about lions!

Did you know that a group of lions is called a pride? Hence my fantasy football team name. My hope is that my drafted players will work together to bring my team out on top to the point of eating my victory dinner at the end of this season. So, I created a black and gold logo with a lion’s head in the background and the word “pride” in the foreground, and when I submitted my team name and logo to the league, the text thread blew up with comments about gay pride and GIFs of rainbows.

This is the power of redefinition.

If you do a Google search of the word “pride,” the first things to pop up are articles about the LGBTQ+ community. This word is now associated with a powerful movement. This word is linked with the image of a rainbow. This word now defines a certain lifestyle.

This is not an article about gay pride. This is an article about words and definitions.

Words are powerful. Definitions are crucial. Images that are connected to those words and definitions have the ability to shape and define a culture’s lifestyle.

Jesus knew this.

Christianity’s Image

When people hear the word “Christianity” in today’s culture, there is a gamut of words, definitions, and images that come to mind. Ranging from very positive to extremely problematic. All the way from holy to horrific. This is why it’s so important to examine the words and lifestyle of Jesus alone who is the centerpiece of the Christian faith. That’s the purpose of my writing this False Jesus series. To always point us back to Jesus’ words about himself and his expectations for his followers.

Recorded in John 13, Jesus spoke very specific words of what he expected to define his disciples. He even gave them (and us) a living image (an example from his own life) that he hoped would burn into their hearts to solidify the Christian lifestyle.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.*Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him….

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:3-5, 12-17, 34-35*

This is the image that Jesus wanted to be seared into his disciple’s minds.

The Son of God, the most powerful person in the room, humbled himself to wash his disciple’s feet. At that moment, Jesus gave us a profound picture of what he hoped would define the movement that is now called Christianity. The washing of feet, which was the nasty job of the lowest person of their culture’s totem pole, a servant. Jesus willingly took the lowest place to serve.

Jesus gave us a living illustration of servanthood motivated by love.

So, let me ask you this…Is this the image that comes to mind when you hear the word “Christian” in today’s culture? A servant? My guess is a confident no.

The Image of Servanthood Re-Defined by Jesus

The term “servant” has a very negative connotation in our culture. And rightly so. Images of slaves being abused by their masters come to mind. This word conjurs up a horrible American history of 400 years of the grossest violence against those who were treated as less than human. So, when Jesus instructs his followers to be servants, we have a hard time comprehending what he meant by this word. We have a visceral reaction to that word.

When Jesus even said of himself (recorded in Matthew 20:28) that he came to be a servant, not to be served, what did he mean?

I believe the Apostle Paul captures it perfectly.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)

Here you have Jesus described as the anointed Son of God, the Savior of the world, taking the form of a servant. Jesus chose to leave the richness of heaven to embrace the poverty of earth by becoming human and to serve humans. He willingly laid down his rights (and later his life) as the Son of God to serve both God and others.

This is servanthood, defined and modeled by Jesus Christ. My question is…are we seeing this in today’s Christianity?

I have been a part of an organization, known as Lionshare, since 2003. (See, I told you I liked lions 😉). Lionshare’s aim is to co-mission with Jesus in fulfilling His Great Commission by igniting and equipping disciple makers within the Church and throughout the vocations where Christians work. Our pride believes that discipleship works best through relationships using tools that reference God’s character, ways and mission. One of those tools is Dave Buehring’s book, A Discipleship Journey.

God has used this book to rearrange my life in how I follow Jesus. Next to the Bible, this book has been the most influential book I’ve ever read because it always points me to Jesus and practically helps me to follow His ways.

In his eye-opening chapter, A Call to Discipleship, Dave Buehring defines servanthood. He writes, “A servant relinquishes their rights so they may better serve God and others. The heart of a servant desires to be available to God for His purposes, which include serving others. A servant’s attitude is one of open and upward palms, willing to allow the Lord to take from them as well as to give to them.”

He then goes on to list what servants of God willingly surrender in their lives like Jesus did. To be honest, I got mad the first few times I read this list. I have a love/hate relationship with this servanthood list that is compiled from the pages of the Bible. This list makes me say, “Yeah, but…” or “What about…” because I’m used to having certain rights as an American citizen.

In a culture that is so quick to point out our inalianeable rights, Dave Buehring points to a higher authority that Christians have surrendered to in their lives. When we choose to follow Jesus, we surrender ourselves to His ways and calling on our lives.

Servants surrender their rights to...- their family - marriage - singleness when they marry - their friends - their freedom - their finances and possessions - popularity and reputation - their time - food, shelter, sleep, and comfort - their position, rank, or place of importance - their nationality or denomination - their gifts and ministry - their opinions and the right to be right - their future

I will admit that this is a hard list to absorb, especially as a Christian who lives in America. But we have to work hard to remove the lens in which we see our rights. As Christians, who submit ourselves to a higher authority than the rights and laws of our country, we must be willing to relinquish these rights with open palms to make ourselves available to serve God and others. This is what Jesus did. He willingly laid down all of his rights to serve because He was motivated by love.

When a Christian walks in humility and obedience to God’s ways, they reflect Jesus more accurately. Jesus didn’t do things for the applause of people. He served out of a position of God’s approval of Him. We should follow his lead. Jesus didn’t do things to be noticed, but he served mostly behind the scenes, and when he did get noticed, he always pointed back to God. Jesus showed us that we need to serve no matter how nasty the job, like washing dirt, dust, and animal poop off his disciples’ feet.

What I love about Jesus’ model for servanthood was his willingness to serve anybody and everybody. Whoever God told him to serve, he served. Jesus broke all cultural barriers and rules to serve people of all backgrounds and nationalities. He continued to serve the very people who mistreated him and even those who eventually killed him. This is the Christian’s model.

Jesus showed us how to serve, even in his death. And that is the call of every Christian. We are to die to ourselves. Motivated by our love for God and others, we are to pick up our cross daily and follow his example (Matthew 16:24-25). Servants of God die to self and live for God and others.

Servanthood: Dying to Self

The problem is that we live in a world where self is king. We even take pictures of ourselves and post them on social media, and these pictures are called Selfies. We are taught from the beginning to seek what is best for “me” and “mine.” Chase your dream. Work hard to get yours. Our lives revolve around self.

This is nothing new. This is natural. We are born to prefer ourselves.

Jesus taught a different way.

Jesus taught that we need to die to self. And what I love about Jesus is that He didn’t just teach it, he lived it. Jesus taught that servants die to self-will to do God’s will, and he did that by going to the cross. Jesus modeled for his followers that it is better to die to pleasing yourself in order to please God. Jesus showed us that servants die to relying on themselves to put their full trust in God. Jesus taught that God’s ways are always more important to a Christian than their own opinions.

Jesus didn’t just teach these things. He practiced what he preached. Jesus went all in on servanthood. That’s why he can expect it of his followers.

The challenge to all Christians is to follow Jesus’ lead. According to Jesus, dying to self is not an option. Servanthood, motivated by love, is what Jesus expects. Remember, Jesus commanded it. Jesus said to his disciples (recorded in John 13:34-35), “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This command to love comes right on the heels of Jesus washing his disciples feet. Therefore, you and I cannot separate love from serving God and others. This is how Jesus redefined servanthood.

Jesus, who by the way is also referred to as the Lion of Judah in Revelation 5:5, the Overcomer, the victorious Lion King, willingly chose to lay down his crown. Motivated by love, He laid down his rights all the way to the point of laying down his life for you and me.

Servanthood, motivated by love. A powerful redefinition. That is what Jesus’ pride should be known for.

And now you know the deeper meaning of my fantasy football team name this season.

Before you go…

Let’s be really honest with each other. No person is going to get this right 100% of the time. God knows I don’t, and you can also ask my wife and daughters.

Our natural response is to think about ourselves and do what’s best for ourselves. And my guess is that if you have a beef with Jesus or Christianity, it’s likely because you’ve been around a Christian or stumbled upon one on social media who didn’t follow Jesus’ example. And I totally understand that.

This is why I have a core conviction in writing these newsletters of False Jesus. We need to carefully examine the life and teachings of Jesus himself before we throw out all of Christianity based on the behavior of his followers who are incapable of getting this right 100% of the time. Don’t take their word for it. Don’t take my word for it. Take Jesus’ word for it. Look at his life and then make your decision.

Dying to Self

by Bill Britton

When you are forgotten, neglected, or purposely set aside, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but you keep your heart right before God, glad to be counted as worthy to suffer for Jesus — that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself – that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, irregularity, unpunctuality, or any annoyance, and when you stand face-to-face with waste, foolishness, extravagance, and spiritual insensitivity, and endure it as Jesus did — that is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, clothing, climate, culture – and any interruption by the will of God — that is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good works or itch after commendations; when you truly love to be unknown — that is dying to self.

When you can see someone else prosper and have their needs met and can honestly rejoice with them from your heart, and feel no envy, nor question God while your own needs are far greater — that is dying to self.

When you can receive rebuke and correction from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no places of rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart — that is dying to self.

Join tens of thousands of people this Sunday, July 10th at Heinz Field for an incredible and free event, Pittsburgh Prays. Simply an event to gather and pray. To see the region of Pittsburgh reconciled and united in Christ. To give thanks for answering prayers in trying times. To strengthen our relationships with one another as members of the body of Christ.

There are three powerful goals of this event:

Live Worship

Churches from across our city will unite to provide an incredible worship experience.

Prayer

To give thanks to God for bringing us through the pandemic, and strengthening our relationships with one another as members of the body of Christ.

Unity

Gathering various churches and Christian organizations, we will see our city reconciled and united in Christ.

For more information, visit pittsburghprays.com - There you can register yourself or your entire group or church today. I hope that you can come.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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I was on the sidelines at practice a while back having a conversation with a player in between periods when he said to me, “I’m not really into religion. My parents are super religious, but it’s just not my thing.” I responded, “I’m not into religion either.” He tilted his head, furrowed his brow, and shot me this perplexed look. He did not understand how a team chaplain was not a fan of religion.

In my line of work as a Chaplain in the National Football League, I try to explain that Christianity was never intended to be a RELIGION but a missional movement of reconciling people back into a right RELATIONSHIP with God through the person of Jesus Christ. I try my best to convey that Jesus was not the founder of some new religion that popped up 2,000+ years ago. However, Jesus is the centerpiece of God’s redemption plan for all mankind.

Christianity is considered a world religion, but it is not a religion. Christianity is a part of a bigger storyline of God’s desire to redeem and be reconciled to humanity.

Religion vs Christianity

What is religion? To simplify this for my brain, I’ll put it this way. Any world religion teaches that you and I must do something to reach God or be accepted by God. We purify ourselves. We pray in a certain way. We don’t eat certain foods. We achieve enlightenment. We make sure our good deeds outweigh our bad. Do these things and more, and we’ll be good with God.

On the other hand, Christianity alone teaches that Jesus has already done everything for you and me to reach God and be accepted by God. The reality is that there is nothing we can do that will make God love us more. There is nothing we can do that will make God love us less. God loves us. Period. And He wants a relationship with us. So much so, that he sent Jesus, His one and only son, to bridge the eternal sin-filled chasm between us and God. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” on the cross (recorded in John 19:30), he accomplished what we never could to restore us into a right relationship with God once again.

Religion says we must do. Jesus said it’s already done. Of course, there’s way more to it, but this is the starting point and a massive difference between all world religions and God’s movement, now called Christianity.

HIStory

To understand this, we have to know how we fit into God’s story. HIStory is recorded and preserved in the Bible. The sacred pages of Scripture reveal to us, from the beginning, why Jesus had to do what he did on that cross. If you don’t know this history, then Christianity will simply remain nothing more than a religion.

Everything Jesus did finds its way back to mankind’s beginning.

Genesis 1:27 states, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God looked upon Adam and Eve and crowned them as father and mother of all mankind and encouraged them to steward all He had made and told them to multiply. God gave them complete dominion over all creation! You get the sense that God was very pleased with all of His creation(s). Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Then, just like any loving father would, God put a boundary in place to protect His kids. He said (and I’m paraphrasing here), this is all yours to steward. Work the land. Name the animals. Get after it and find joy in it. But the Lord God also commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Adam and Eve had complete freedom within a loving and protective boundary, and then the enemy of their souls (and ours) slid up and whispered the world’s first recorded false version of the truth.

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened... (Genesis 3:1-7)

The perversion of perfection. The eternal chasm of divine connection between God and humanity. The ruining of relational trust between God and all mankind. The dawn of death. Choosing selfish desire over selfless dependence on a loving Creator. Adam and Eve severed humanity’s intimacy with God, and by doing so, sin and death entered the entire world.

This World is Broken…

I don’t have to convince you that, evil, sin, death, and brokenness exist in this world. Just check your news feed. Look back at the last month in the United States alone. The sin of racism was on full display with the mass shooting in a Buffalo, NY supermarket. Another awful tragedy took 5 lives at a Tulsa hospital. Evil reared its ugly head with a Texas school massacre. Precious children lost their lives for no other reason than the brokenness, evil, and sinfulness of humanity.

I’ve heard so many times in the last few years that something has to change. Something’s got to give. Something has to break. We fully recognize that something is broken in this world, but we need to know something else is broken.

God’s heart is broken over these kinds of awful tragedies ever since sin entered this world. His heart was broken over Adam and Eve’s decision which is still impacting the nature of mankind today. Ever since the day they chose to sever the relationship with God, God has desired to be back in a right relationship with every human being, and every human being has been in search of that soul-satisfying intimacy with God. But there is a massive problem!

Even if we wanted to make our way back to God, we can’t. The chasm is uncrossable. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The word “all” in the original language of the Bible means all. Everyone. You and me. Completely inclusive. All of humanity.

This means that you and I cannot do anything to get back into a right relationship with God. We cannot earn our way back to God with good deeds. We can’t pay money to secure a spot on God’s side. We cannot attend enough chapels or church services to get in good with God. We aren’t good enough, smart enough, or successful enough to bridge that eternal separation between us and God. We are dead in our sinfulness.

Enter Jesus.

John records an intimate conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus about religion (Nicodemus was a religious leader, a Pharisee). In that little chat, Jesus revealed a massive claim about who he was, recorded in John 3.

Jesus said, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

John goes on to write maybe the most well-known verse in the world,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

God recognized the eternal chasm. Humanity’s connection to God and eternal life with Him has been severed by sin. God loved each of us too much to let that continue, so He made a way where there seemed to be no way. He sent Jesus. He sent His one and only son to die the death we all deserve in exchange for his eternal life.

1 Peter 3:18 says, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”

Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Here’s the point I’m trying to make…

Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a rescue mission. Christianity is a God-initiated reconciliation movement. Reconciling the walking spiritually dead back to eternal life with God. Restoring those who believe in Jesus back into a right relationship with Him. Reconnecting us to God, in whose image we were created.

Blaise Pascal is quoted as saying, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Let’s be honest. All of us try to quench the thirst for eternal life with the temporary and fading things that this sin-filled and broken world has to offer. Money. Pleasure. Success. Relationships. Vacations. Experiences. You name it ___________. What Pascal was saying is that we can try it all, but nothing will satisfy the soul’s search except for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.

The bottom line is this. God wants a relationship with all of us, and He went to the greatest length to secure it. You and I don’t deserve it, and we cannot earn it, but He did it for us anyway. That’s not religious. That’s all about relationship.

That is Christianity.

Before you go…

I have made it my life’s mission to partner with Jesus in this reconciliation movement. I don’t do it perfectly, but I long to see every person I cross paths with, come into a relationship with God through believing in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and following him throughout their whole lives. My sincere hope with this newsletter is that you would consider placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ today.

At the same time, I fully recognize that pastors like me and other Christians have participated in skewing the true Jesus from your eyes and ears. That’s why I always say, don’t take my word for it. Take God’s word for it. Read the Bible for yourself, and I hope that you’ll also recognize that this isn’t about a religious effort to earn our way back to God. This is all about God wanting a relationship with you.

If you think I could help you in any way along the journey, please reach out on the False Jesus page or teamchevalier.com.

Until next time. God bless.

Losing My Religion

by Kent Chevalier

Today I had several decisions that needed to be made From very simple to rather complex they ranged From returning almost every email to opening every sympathy card From showering and shaving to researching therapists, which is hard This all feels like a big accomplishment, I must say But there’s another big decision I continued to make today And it has to do with my relationship with God I took another step forward in losing my religion to be loved like a child Religion tells me that I have to do certain things to earn God’s favor When a relationship with God allows me to just be held by my Savior I don’t have to perform and go through certain religious rituals I don’t have to repeat certain words to Him in a prayer vigil I can just show up as the mess I am and acknowledge His presence Falling into His comfort is the most welcomed present Opening up to Him, closing my mouth and falling apart He takes me as I am, and this is yet another start of a new chapter in our up and down relationship It’s not Him, it’s me who always causes this boat to tip He’s always steady, and I’m always ready to wander Prone to leave the One who always leaves me in wonder There’s nothing I can do to make God love me more or less So again, today I’m losing my religion simply to rest in my relationship with God and handing Him this grief Knowing He expects nothing of me right now brings me great relief

Join tens of thousands of people on Sunday, July 10th at Heinz Field for an incredible and free event, Pittsburgh Prays. Simply an event to gather and pray. To see the region of Pittsburgh reconciled and united in Christ. To give thanks for answering prayers in trying times. To strengthen our relationships with one another as members of the body of Christ.

There are three powerful goals of this event:

Live Worship

Churches from across our city will unite to provide an incredible worship experience.

Prayer

To give thanks to God for bringing us through the pandemic, and strengthening our relationships with one another as members of the body of Christ.

Unity

Gathering various churches and Christian organizations, we will see our city reconciled and united in Christ.

For more information, visit pittsburghprays.com - There you can register yourself or your entire group or church today. I hope that you can come.

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I started this ‘False Jesus’ journey by drinking from an already open can of cultural controversy. I addressed the question…why does God hate gay people? This one question is an example of hundreds I’ve received and conversations I’ve had in the last 25 years of ministry. I have wondered in these last few years if the questions are getting harder and more complex with the ever-changing culture, or am I just more aware of the grace required to answer such complex issues while still sharing God’s truth at hand.

Jesus was the master at this.

Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He had this beautiful ability to share the truth with a person while extending grace in a way that left that person feeling loved and cared for at the end of their conversation. Jesus modeled for us the importance of lacing the truth with love.

When it comes to Christianity in our social media culture today, I believe this aspect of Jesus’ character is generally missing. Truth without relationship. Truth without conversation. Truth without the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Truth without looking into another person’s eyes to feel what it is that they’re really saying. Truth without hearing the tone of grace.

Last month I shared that “Twitter Theology is ruining generations for the true person of Jesus Christ.” There are so many layers of what I mean by that, but this relational component is one aspect. Jesus showed us the value of relational currency when it comes to sharing truth.

We have to recognize that the currency of our social media feeds has drastically changed the way we do relationships. Let me give you a few examples:

People no longer need to come over or call on the phone to tell each other what they just experienced. They just post on their feed for friends and family to discover on their own time.

People feel relationally connected to a pastor, artist, or celebrity because they’ve seen pictures of their family or watched video clips of a sermon.

People cancel a person based on what a “friend” said about that person on their opinion page.

Canceled without conversation. Connected relationally without ever meeting. Sharing life-changing experiences without ever talking.

I am obviously not against social media. I’m using it right now. I love so many aspects of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and now Substack. I’m too old for TikTok and Snapchat doesn’t make sense to me. Truth be told, I think I might be on these platforms way too much. I wonder if I’m addicted. Sorry, I digress from my point.

Twitter Theology has replaced the innate need for candid conversations about complex cultural issues. The sad perceived reality is that Christians yell “truth” on social media, on street corners, and on television. I’m not saying that these platforms are bad in and of themselves. I’m just saying that they lack the relationship needed to absorb truth. They lack the grace that is needed to have loving conversations.

This is not just about social media interaction. This is about all social exchanges whether on a screen or on the street. Twitter Theology is leading us to a false theopraxy (a lifestyle that seeks to know Christ and imitate Him in all things).

The truth is that most of us would rather be right than build relationships. We’d rather launch a truth bomb from the safety of our phones than do the hard work of actually talking with the person that our post was aimed at.

Jesus talked with people. He did not “tweet” at them. He did launch truth bombs, but they were followed up with a grace-filled invitation to come and be with him to talk about it. For the sake of time, let’s take a look at one of the many conversations Jesus had where he spoke truth, but he did so with grace-laced love.

The Woman at the Well

John 4 records a lengthy conversation Jesus had with a Samaritan woman. I want to invite you to fight the urge of Twitter Theology and slow down with me to actually read these 26 verses of scripture. Yes, this will be longer than a tweet. But it’s worth our attention.

***Eventually he [Jesus] came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.***

Thanks for sticking with me. I know that was a bit long. But I believe it was worth it because Jesus made a huge statement with that conversation.

Jesus chose to build a bridge rather than build a wall. He engaged with someone his culture told him to cancel. He laced the truth with love.

Jesus knew the “reputation” of her people. Jesus knew this woman’s sketchy sin-filled past and still talked with her, and he lovingly shared truth within this conversation that was rooted in grace. Jesus even called her out for “living” with a guy who wasn’t her husband. She apparently didn’t want to talk about that truth anymore, so she quickly changed the topic.

And here’s what I want us to see…

Jesus went there with her! He allowed love to take him down her path. He let her lead their little well-side chat. He didn’t try to redirect the conversation back to her questionable life choices. He didn’t interrupt her train of thought for another shot at the sin she was committing. He already called it out once, and he didn’t feel the need to make his point again. In this conversation, Jesus chose relationship over the right to be right.

And what was the result?

She led this complex cultural conversation right into the self-discovery that Jesus, the Messiah, was standing right in front of her. He was the truth that she was admittedly waiting for and seeking. She was so shaken by this moment of truth that she left what she originally came for at the well and ran back to her entire community to announce that she had met the Messiah.

Truth that is laced with grace and led by love leads to life transformation.

This woman felt the truth of who Jesus was through this grace-filled conversation. Her life was transformed by Jesus’ truth. So much so that she said to her entire community, “Come meet this man who told me everything I ever did!” She invited the whole town to meet the Messiah, who lovingly called out her sin.

Getting Back to Twitter Theology

No matter the sin, Jesus calls it out in grace and love to call us up into a fresh revelation of who He is. That’s how Jesus does it. He doesn’t sugarcoat sin, but he doesn’t beat us over the head with it to get his point across. He doesn’t shame us into a label and cancel us because of our sin. Rather, Jesus invites us into a relationship of self-discovery and self-awareness juxtaposed to His holiness and righteousness.

Twitter Theology is teaching the exact opposite. Christians feel that it’s okay to call out the sins of people they don’t even know. Shouting truth with their thumbs. Verbally vomiting on “followers” they’ve never actually met. Instagram evangelists are putting people in their place without considering that real people with real feelings are reading. Social media martyrs are dying on meme hills without any real relationships of substance.

God led the Apostle Paul to write one-third of the New Testament, which is quite a bit longer than a tweet. In Romans 2:4, he said that “God’s kindness leads us to repentance.” He also wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

The Spirit of Jesus led Paul to write at length about God’s hard stance on sin. He spent a great deal of time calling out the sin of those he was in relationship with because he established multiple churches filled with sinners who were saved only by God’s grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Paul’s list of sins was quite long.

On that extensive sin list is sexual immorality. Yes, this includes a man engaging in sex with another man. It encompasses a woman having sex with a woman. People having sex with animals.

Do you know what “sexual immorality” also includes? A man having sex with a woman who is not his wife. People viewing pornography. A man sexually abusing his wife in the marriage bed. Just to name a few. I think you get God’s point.

All kinds of sexual immorality is rampant in today’s culture. It was in Jesus’ day too.

In John 8, a woman who was caught in the act of adultery was thrown in front of Jesus. Culture demanded that she be stoned to death for her actions, but Jesus said, “…let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” When everyone left Jesus asked, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Full of grace and truth.

Twitter Theology is just a new way of stoning people to death because of their sin. As true followers of Jesus, we have to be different. I have to be different. Why?

Because Jesus was different. He led truth with love and built a bridge to relationships in a divisive culture. We have to follow his example. Anything else would be representing a False Jesus.

Before you go…

You need to know something about me. I am a sinner. Shocked, I’m sure!

I believe that I am saved only by God’s grace through my faith in Jesus Christ. I bet you my sin list is longer than yours. You’d probably say the same. There are sins I commit that you don’t, and you probably indulge in sins that I’m not tempted to engage in. So, I’ll leave you with this…

What could happen in our world if we built relationships with sinners like Jesus did? What could take place in our schools and communities if we engaged in conversations and let love lead us? What if we laced the truth with grace?

I sincerely believe we could change the world. Why? Because Jesus said we could.

Fighting for Fatherhood

by Kent Chevalier

Been doing a lot of thinking on what it means to be a good dad. When I deep dive on this it makes me quite sad to discover that most people I know were wounded in some way by a man who was supposed to provide and convey a good earthly image of God the Perfect Father. None of us can ever measure up to that, so why even bother?

The image of God we carry around in our hearts and minds impacts the way we live our daily lives. The worse the father wound, the worse the Heavenly Father's image. So many enemies can rob this precious stewardship. Satan himself. Man's inadequacies. Cultural shifts. Unforeseen circumstances and mission drift. A dad's purpose is to love and shepherd his kids, but positions, pleasure and paychecks become more important instead. Climbing an invisible ladder and impressing your neighbors. This self-inflicted pressure can make a dad's purpose waiver.

Tight-roping that fine line of authority, encourager, confidant and friend. A dad's responsibilities will be tested and never come to an end. I've discovered the journey is very exhausting yet beyond rewarding. No matter how good I think I've done, there's always more I could be doing. I want to be a dad that leads my daughters to lean on God and not men in all things but especially when matters of the heart are at hand The best thing I can do is point each of my girls to God their Perfect Father because I can't even compare to His love for her.

I have to wage war on the depressing thoughts in my mind that I'm going to warp their view of God over time. I have to fight to be faithful by loving and caring for each of them. I cannot be the perfect dad because that role is already taken, and I trust that God loves each of my daughters perfectly enough to overshadow my mistakes and the worst of me. I also have to reconcile that wounds are not always inflicted but scars can still form from words and actions misinterpreted.

When God gave me the gifts of each of my three daughters, He also gave me the responsibility of pointing them to their Heavenly Father. I want to steward them in His perfect love and grace, and I have to fight everything else that will get in the way.

Oh God, be my Helper. Please, God, be my guide. It's obvious that I cannot win this fight, so it's in You I abide.

Speaking of fighting for fatherhood, I want to make you aware of a Pittsburgh event that is coming this June 11. ManUp is presented by Urban Impact Foundation, an incredible ministry that has been serving the youth of Pittsburgh’s North Side for over 25 years. They’re bringing transformative hope to Pittsburgh one person, one family, one block at a time.

ManUp encourages and teaches men to be godly leaders for their families, and raises awareness of the devastating impact of fatherlessness.

I’ll be at ManUp serving as the emcee. Ladies, tell your guys. Men, I hope to see you there. For more information, visit manuppittsburgh.org today.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com

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“PK, why does God hate gay people?” I sat across the table from a massive NFL player, and his eyes were sincere with a genuine curiosity that expressed an underlying emotional pain. I said, “Why do you think God hates gay people?" with an intuitive discernment of why he was asking. He shared that one of his family members was a lesbian and went on to tell me that he heard some Christians (including a pastor) say that God hates all homosexuals.

Ugh! This could not be further from the truth.

This is a real example of the “why” behind False Jesus. So many of us have an inaccurate view of God, Jesus, and Christianity based on someone’s opinion. In our social media culture, people are forming what I call a Twitter Theology. 30-second video clips of a sermon inform their belief about Jesus. 140 characters of misguided contextualization mold their opinion of Christianity. Instagram posts are full of false information about God, but many receive it as truth.

Twitter Theology is ruining generations for the true person of Jesus Christ. Biblical illiteracy is so pervasive in the Church and world today, and a lack of biblical understanding of who God is will continue to cripple our future neighborhoods and nations.

I am going to be digging deeper into this concept of Twitter Theology in future newsletters, so stay tuned.

I hope that False Jesus will become an online relational journey that points us back to what Jesus said about Himself, His character, His nature, and His ways. Of course, I’ll share my opinions and interpretation, and I assume you will too, but my goal will always be to point us to what God has revealed in the Bible, His inspired words to us. I want people to understand the character, ways, and mission of Jesus by reading the Scriptures for themselves. I don’t want you to take my word for it. I want you to take Jesus’ word for it.

When I was 18, a college professor challenged me to read the entire Bible. I had never done that before. It was an intimidating project, and it took me well over a year to complete. I didn’t understand most of what I was reading, so this professor spent every week for four years helping to explain what I was struggling to comprehend. I didn’t realize it at the time, but now I know that he was discipling me in the ways, character, and mission of Jesus. Once he helped me to understand the truths revealed in the Scriptures, he also gently guided me to obey what Jesus taught.

I have been a student of the Bible ever since, and I’ll be the first to admit that parts of the Bible are extremely hard to understand. The 66 “books” of the Old Testament and New Testament can be very frustrating to decipher, contextualize and comprehend. This is why you and I need trusted people to guide us into a clear understanding of what God actually said and how this impacts our lives today.

My mentor, Dave Buehring, shared this ☝🏽 truth with me. The major problem I want to address in this monthly newsletter is that most of us have an inaccurate “image of God” that has been passed on to us from someone with a false image of God, and we then base our beliefs and live our lives founded on their false portrayal. This is how an NFL player (and so many other people I know and love) can believe God hates gay people! No wonder there’s a ton of confusion and questions. It’s because they stem from deep pain rooted in a false image of God.

Answer the Question!

“PK, why does God hate gay people?” Here was my answer then, and it’s still my answer now. God does not hate gay people because God does not hate anyone.

How do I know this and how can you be certain of this?

Please don’t just take my word for it. Read God’s words for yourself…

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” ~ John 3:16-17 ESV

"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings." ~ Psalm 36:5-7 NIV

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:8 NIV

Notice that God’s love is for ALL people! There is no cultural label or lifestyle that God’s love doesn’t cover. God lavishes His love onto the LGBTQ+ community in the same way as the heterosexual community. God loves Pittsburgh Steelers fans in the same way He loves Cleveland Browns fans 😉. God’s love doesn’t have cultural barriers. God’s love is not limited to a certain race, economic class, nationality, or NFL fanbase. God loves ALL people.

Humans are the ones who hate other humans. We are the ones who label and disqualify people from God’s love, so the better question to ask is, “Why does God even love people?”

We learn in 1 John 4:8 that “God is love.” Love is God’s nature, and He has never created a person in this world He does not love. This includes my NFL buddy’s family member. God knows how to love us perfectly because God is love.

And therein lies the massive difference. We cannot love as God does. God’s perfect love is unbiased, and our love is not.

So, the next time a person with a twisted image of God in their heart and mind egregiously throws out that God hates a person, you and I can be 100% certain that they’re preaching and representing a False Jesus.

Before you go…

Before I end this first newsletter, I feel the need to say this. I believe there’s an inherent limitation in all of us to believe in a False Jesus. I want to be careful lest I portray that I have this all figured out. I don’t. And you don’t either.

You and I would be extremely arrogant to project that we know everything there is to know about God, Jesus, and Christianity. No one can know everything there is to know about God.

I am not a Bible scholar, and I will not pretend to be one in this space. There are many people who are a whole lot smarter and know so much more about theology than I do. You might be one of them, and I welcome your grace-filled feedback.

My heart in this False Jesus journey is to point us back to what Jesus said about Himself. May we all be disciplined to examine God’s word, the Bible, for ourselves.

Don’t take my word for it. Take God’s word for it.

When you subscribe, this free written and audio newsletter will automatically drop into your inbox on the 1st Tuesday of the month.

When you comment or write to me, I will write back. I’m a busy guy, so it might take me a bit.

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I will include a reflection or poem in certain newsletters. If you like it, share it. Just do me a solid and quote me. 👊🏽

Start with Me

A reflection on Psalm 139:23-24

by Kent Chevalier

Start with me. On my knees. Start with my heart before I try to do my part. If You see any offensive way, may I learn to stay in a posture of submission and join You on Your mission rather than to push my own agenda and spew my own opinion. May the words I say and the things I do be pleasing to You and honoring to those You’ve called me to...to love and respect. To cherish and embrace every color, nationality, voice, and race. In my disagreements may everything I do be laced with love and dripped with grace, re-presenting you in every space, because where I go, You go. When I speak, I do so on behalf of the One who keeps saving me. So, search me, God. I give you permission to call me out on the way I’ve been actin’. Cleanse me. Rebuke me. Correct me and change me because I know this world needs a lot more of You and a whole lot less of me.

The best way to help a person discover the character, ways, and mission of Jesus for themselves is to introduce them to God’s word, the Bible. We have more access to the Scriptures than at any other time in history.

However…

Did you know that 1 billion people live in Bible poverty? That’s billion with a B! Of the 7,000+ languages spoken around the world today, approximately 3,675 have little or no Scripture. illumiNations is working to change this reality.

illumiNations is a collective impact alliance of Bible translation partners and resource partners working together to eradicate Bible poverty in this generation. Their goal is to make the Bible accessible to all people by 2033!

I was made aware of this alliance at PAO’s Increase Conference a few weeks ago. I wanted to let you know about this organization in case you also wanted to get involved in this Kingdom advancing effort.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit falsejesus.substack.com